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Simple grouping game for the Mac

Bubble Free is a Mac OS X bubble-grouping game. It is identical to the Bubble MegaShift iOS game from the same publisher (99 cents for iOS; no free version listed in the App Store). Like so many other grouping games, it opens with a mix of colored bubbles that you remove by clicking on groups of two or more, causing the rest to shift down and fill the void. The larger the group you remove, the higher the score, until you can't remove any more.

Bubble Free installs easily enough and takes a second or two to learn. The … Read more

Play and rip DVDs for Apple devices

Favor DVD Player for Mac is a utility for playing and ripping DVDs. Supporting all DVD formats, Favor DVD Player for Mac lets you watch your DVDs on your MacBook or iMac. Even better, Favor DVD Player for Mac lets you rip DVDs to formats for your Mac or portable iDevice, as well as Apple TV.

Favor DVD Player for Mac downloads and installs easily. The interface has preset defaults for the most common settings, and a simple interface for watching DVDs. We watched a wide variety of disks, in numerous formats, and all played properly. We also ripped a … Read more

Dell joins the parade of Windows 8 systems

Dell is joining the ranks of PC companies making system announcements before the official October 26 release of Windows 8.

The following products are available for preorder today, according to Dell:

XPS 12 convertible -- starting at $1,199.99 XPS One 27 with touch -- starting at $1,599.99 Inspiron One 23 AIO with touch -- starting at $779.99 XPS 13 ultrabook -- starting at $999.99

Dell is also offering Windows 8 as an option on its current XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex and Precision brands -- which covers virtually all the company's major product brands. … Read more

Create and edit high-quality HD and 3D video with Pinnacle Studio Plus 16

When it comes to video, you're not a pro, but neither are you a noob. You can use better video tools, but the best is way out of your price range. Pinnacle Studio Plus 16 might be what you're looking for. This full-featured video suite is compatible with the latest HD and 3D standards, including Blu-ray and AVCHD. It offers 24-track editing, multilayer special effects, animated graphics, custom titles, and hi-fi audio quality. You can save your productions in a variety of formats, share them online, or burn them to disk. Pinnacle Studio Plus 16 is free to … Read more

Create stunning collages in seconds with Fuzel Pro

Fuzel Pro is a user-friendly app that brings all the benefits of a desktop collage app directly to your iPhone. You can create a stunning collage in just minutes and share it with your friends through multiple channels.

The nice, uncluttered interface is intuitive, so even first-time users will be able to jump right in and start creating collages. At the start you can choose from 30+ layouts of various widths and aspect ratios, and then you can either start taking pictures or access those on the camera roll. As soon as you have the pictures selected, the fun begins. … Read more

Colorize your keyboard with Color Keyboard Pro

While we think the iOS default keyboard is nicely designed as it is, Color Keyboard Pro allows you to choose from more than six different skins that have the full set of QWERTY keys in various colors.

At launch, you'll see a colored keyboard with one of the available custom skins. While it was very easy to choose a skin, we found it annoying that the click is louder when you type than with the original iPhone option, and we couldn't find a reasonable explanation for this.

You can also use Color Keyboard Pro to create messages. When … Read more

Convert PDF to editable format

Mac PDF Converter for Mac is a tool for everyday use, especially for those who need to work with PDF and text files, and its easy-to-use interface and speed help you save time.

The easy-to-handle interface makes using Mac PDF Converter a no-brainer, and it works straight out of the box: users can convert any PDF file to Word, text, image, HTML, or EPUB formats using the application. Although we missed having a convenient drag-and-drop function when adding files, we can live without it, if necessary. The trial version is limited to a conversion of five pages, which is adequate.… Read more

Gracefully become a power downloader

The name might not be the most creative, but the Internet Download Manager does exactly what it promises: helps you download and organize files. The best part is that you can schedule downloads and use filters to get the specific files you want.

The compact interface is packed with options, but the main features are easily accessed from a toolbar at the top. We would have liked to see a bit more user guidance up front, but a tutorial does cover the basics, and there is a more detailed Help file if you get stuck. You can also go the … Read more

What I'd like to see in the iPhone 5

I've owned an iPhone every year since its 2007 debut. Every one. The reward for such reckless upgrading has been a sense of the iPhone's evolution over those years. What started as a device that had not many apps to speak of, but dripped futurism, has become an always-on, location-aware, frighteningly integral part of my nervous system.

While I've listed what we expect out of the next iPhone, I haven't told you what I want. So, here's my own personal list of what matters most...to me.… Read more