COLLECTION

Smart WorkTime Tracker provides a unique twist on the traditional billable hours tracking software. Its simplicity and accuracy make this a great tool for those who need to track the time spent on a project.

The program's interface was surprisingly simple to operate. We were able to easily navigate through its few intuitive commands without having to divert to the Help file's tutorial. This kept our interaction with the program to a minimum so we could focus on work. The program really set itself apart from other time-tracking software because it could be set to automatically track time … Read more

MB Dream Dictionary is a simple tool for discovering the meaning behind dreams. Its list of dream-related terminology is a great starting point for learning more about nighttime visions.

The program's interface is surprisingly basic, consisting of only words and definitions. This is actually good, because the online Help file's instructions do little to illuminate the program, so we had to learn ourselves. Fortunately, this took almost no time, and we were working through the dictionary in a few seconds. MB Dream Dictionary is simply a gazette of hundreds of dream-related terms, listed in alphabetical order. We were … Read more

BookCAT provides all the tools necessary to track books for a professional or a home library. Its interesting options give you full control of your catalog and lending.

Although it performed a complicated task, the program's interface is surprisingly accessible. It has plenty to offer seasoned and novice librarians as well as beginning to advanced book collectors. The layout is professional and intuitive with its bright, well-labeled commands. We were instantly pleased with this program, since we were able to quickly populate our entire library by entering only each book's ISBN number. BookCAT instantly downloaded each volume's … Read more

Movie Label 2010 is a multifeatured database program that allows users to organize their movie collections. Although we liked the program's many options and sleek interface, it didn't always run as well as it should have.

The program's interface will look familiar to users of Office 2007 products. Everything is fairly intuitive, although given the number of features, sometimes users will have to do a bit of poking around to find what they're looking for. There are several ways for people to enter movie titles; Movie Label can search for and download information from IMDb, gather … Read more

Movienizer is an intuitive database that allows users to keep track of their movie collections. Although it's similar to other programs we've seen, the fact that it's free sets it apart.

Movienizer's interface is simple and attractive, with its major functions organized in buttons and menus across the top. Like many similar programs, Movienizer can download movie information from 24 online resources in nine languages, or gather information from a DVD or text file. The program also has a loan-tracking feature, allowing users to keep track of who they lend their DVDs to, although it's … Read more

MB Numerology Dictionary provides a better understanding of practically any term related to the astrological study of numbers. This bare-bones program excels at giving information anyone can understand.

This program's stark, black and white interface wasn't much to look at, but was functional. While its online Help file gave us the briefest of definitions for its layout, we got the hang of this program in about two seconds. We were impressed by the sheer number of terms provided, probably a few hundred, ranging from Birthday Numbers, to Inner Dreams Numbers, to Soul Numbers. We simply scrolled through this … Read more

SoftCAT offers to help organize programs that make up your computer. By cataloging everything with an easy-to-use layout, its manual input keeps this program from being brilliant.

With all commands laid out clearly and a useful example database already set up, we slid directly into navigating this program. While not hard to do, setting up a database required a great deal of information from us. Its New Entry form was not unlike filling out online paperwork by inputting Title, Publisher, Category, and its Location on our computer. Away from this primary screen, we appreciated the added tabs for more information, … Read more

Most PCs come with image-editing tools that do a lot, but sometimes too many features can be overwhelming. Imagistik Photo Album is a simple image editor that basically does one thing, which is make it easy to combine and arrange several images on one page, and save or print the results. You can add text to images, such as captions and labels, and rotate images individually. Cropping and red-eye removal tools spruce up your images.

A Windows installer makes the download a snap. The interface is decidedly sparse, with a few simple buttons and only two choices on the Taskbar, … Read more

If you're running a small business, you're probably looking for tools that will make it easier for you to bill invoices, track payments, and collect your accounts receivable.

You can always use offline standbys like Peachtree or Intuit QuickBooks, but you might be happy to know that there are some nice online tools that perform basic functions. Let's take a look.

Blinksale Unlike some of the better services in this roundup, Blinksale doesn't provide a free option for those with small companies who don't need all the bells and whistles. That's unfortunate, but the service is still worth checking out.

Perhaps Blinksale's best feature is its design. The service makes moving around the different modules quick and easy. It creates an intuitive environment in which to work. And when you get to work, you should be happy with what you find. The site features invoice creation tools, invoice tracking, the ability to follow up with clients from within the app, and more. It's a full-featured product that should appeal to the small-business owner who wants to do a little more than send invoices.

Although there aren't any free options, Blinksale is one of the more affordable services in this roundup. Prices range from $6 per month up to $24 per month. There's just one catch: some services charge based on the number of clients, but Blinksale charges based on the number of invoices you send. Its cheapest plan allows you to send six invoices per month.

Chargify Chargify is a recurring billing system that should help you manage your invoices and collections without much trouble.

Chargify does things a little differently than many of the services in this roundup. Instead of simply allowing you to create invoices and track them until payment, Chargify lets you input all the products or services your company sells, then dynamically change prices as you offer free trial periods, promotions, or refunds. The service can also be integrated into a retail site, providing you with information on the number of sign-ups or cancellations your company is experienced.

Unlike so many of the services in this roundup, Chargify won't cost you any money, if you're not generating revenue. The service is even free up to your first 50 customers. Beyond that, you'll pay anywhere between $49 per month for 500 customers, up to $2,499 per month for an unlimited number of customers. One word of caution: Chargify is ideally suited for online businesses.… Read more