free

You're in the middle of a city park. You're at a rest stop on the side of the road, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe you're simply in your living room. You turn on your computer and have instant, secure access to the Internet without requiring any network cables or log-ins -- or even any payment to an ISP.

Yeah, right.

Ubiquitous, free, and safe Internet access is a long, long way off, and many skeptics believe such a day will never arrive. The glass-half-full among us will point out that the number of people … Read more

Buy an iPhone through Apple online, and you can now score free next-day shipping.

The deal is good for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4 but restricts purchases to two per buyer. Apple already offers free standard shipping on orders that total more than $50. But next-day shipping normally kicks in an additional charge depending on the size of the order.

The offer may be especially appealing to iPhone 4 buyers since that model is free with a standard two-year contract. Apple's order page doesn't indicate how long the promotion will last.

In the past, Apple … Read more

Those who want to surf the Web without using Safari have many options. Chromium FreeSMUG build for Mac is a functional program, but does not add anything new to the browsing experience.

Downloading Chromium FreeSMUG's build for Mac takes a bit longer since the program is 46 MB. Installation occurred without any problems or user actions, though. There were no instructions, but the interface is fairly easy to interpret for those familiar with Web browsing. Support did not appear to be available. After starting, the program's interface was what one would typically expect from a basic Web browser. … Read more

The mind of a child is an incredible thing. Filled with amazing ideas, even more amazing images, and confluences of events an adult would be hard-pressed to replicate, imagination takes kids to exciting, new places almost every day. But teaching them to express that imagination in a constructive way is not always easy. Write About This Free tackles the problem with an intuitive, easy-to-use app that is both charming and full of content -- a perfect companion for budding young writers and parents eager to be involved in the process.

The app is simple enough to use. It loads quickly … Read more

More likely than not, at some point in your ownership of an Apple device, you've wanted to load a file directly to it, either for storage or to access it in some capacity - a PDF, a video or a folder of tools. While you can load images through iPhoto, and music, videos and documents in iTunes, the interface is limited and you can't create folders or other storage tools to keep your files organized. USB & Wi-Fi Flash Drive Free solves that problem by turning your iOS device into an on-the-go flash drive alternative that you can … Read more

Video Tube Free for YouTube is exactly as it sounds: a free app for browsing, sharing, and interacting with content on YouTube. While YouTube has since released an official app that offers most of the same features in a very similar interface, there are still a few reasons to recommend Video Tube, even if you also use the YouTube app or the YouTube mobile site.

Video Tube works right out of the box without the need for logging in or registration. In fact, Video Tube has no options to log in in its free version, instead allowing you to save … Read more

Over the last few months, Barnes & Noble has been running a number of special deals on the Nook HD+, the larger of its two tablets, including a free credit of $50 to spend on Nook content. But now the company is taking things a step further by throwing in a free Nook Simple Touch E Ink e-reader -- usually $79 -- with the purchase of Nook HD+, which starts at $269 for the 16GB model. The offer is available from March 24 to 30.

The deal comes at a turbulent time for the company. Much has been written lately … Read more

Retro gaming is big right now. The App Store is filled with games that hearken back to the days of brightly colored pixels, indistinguishable faces and simple but ultimately addictive gameplay. Few games channel this as well or as thoroughly as Space Impact Free. If you were to glance at Space Impact Free in passing, you would immediately think it to be an actual retro game, straight from the Atari 2600 that once sat in every American basement. But the game is an original design and, while it uses many of the same basic elements of its forebears, it has … Read more

Sound Effects Free is exactly what it sounds like: a repository of various sound effects that you can use for free on your iPhone. Like many other free apps featuring sound effects, GIFs, videos, or icons, the app is ad supported and has a paid upgrade that gives you more of the sound effects and removes the ads. In this case, the upgrade is relatively limited in scope, but if you enjoy the sound effects -- which are generally decent -- it is a worthwhile purchase.

The interface is simple. When you open the ad, you'll be asked a … Read more