checking

TinySpell is a free tool that checks spelling in any program. Accessing the program is as simple as right-clicking on its icon in your computer's Quick Launch tray. It displays a tiny window, making it easy to use alongside other programs. TinySpell will alert you if you misspell a word, or you can type a word directly in its window to check your spelling.

Most computer programs have spell check built-in, but in some programs the spell check is cumbersome to use or not easily accessed. TinySpell can bridge that gap. We thought it was quite handy to have … Read more

Gmail's labs section is full of tools that help advanced users fine-tune the interface of the free Web mail service. What may be more impressive, though, are its tweaks for the not-so-advanced users, the kind who need a little hand-holding to keep them from firing off e-mails while intoxicated, or missives that they didn't mean to send in the first place.

To add to these two features, Google on Tuesday introduced "got the wrong Bob?", a very simple tweak that, based on first names, will give you a subtle nudge if it thinks you're sending … Read more

Just Checking is an incredibly easy-to-use program that lets users keep track of checking account transactions. Although it is not as full-featured as the big-name personal finance programs, it's a good choice for users who need a lightweight program to manage their checking accounts.

The program's interface is attractive and very intuitive. All of the program's features are arranged with graphical buttons across the top, making it incredibly easy to find what you're looking for. It's easy to add, edit, and delete transactions, as well as search for them. The program's built-in Help file … Read more

Payroll Mate 2009 provides tools for managing your business's payroll. With its simple operation and great features, it's is a great option for users in charge of a small business' finances.

Even if you've never handled any company's payroll, large or small, Payroll Mate is easy to get started with. We were able to slip right into the interface and control everything with ease. The program's Wizard holds your hand every step of the way as it walks you through the setup and data entry stages. The Wizard is most helpful when entering a new … Read more

Bookmark Buddy Unicode lets users organize their bookmarks. Although the program is chock-full of features, its unintuitive interface and overwhelming Help file made us feel more frustrated than organized.

The program displays users' bookmarks by category and subcategory. For example, the News and Analysis category has subcategories, for international news, magazines, and computer news. All of these can be customized, allowing users to create categories and subcategories that are meaningful for them. Users can then export their bookmarks to their browser, although this function seemed aimed primarily at Internet Explorer users and wasn't clear about how Firefox users should … Read more

Write Source provides users with a word processor for .txt documents that successfully imitates Word. In addition, the program offers an added feature that will help users search for words.

We felt instantly comfortable with this program's interface since it smoothly mimics Microsoft Word all the way down to its layout. The Help file's instructions were necessary to master some of the more complicated features, but basic writing was a snap. Our previous experience with word processors that save as .txt files had been disappointing since they always seemed to fall short of Word with their clumsy layouts … Read more

Checkbook offers users a chance to keep their finances in order with this simple program. Utilizing a familiar design and garnering fantastic results, this may be a dream come true for those who dread balancing their checkbooks each month.

The program's interface is reminiscent of the inside of a checkbook. The entry fields are intuitive and should not be a problem to navigate. There is also an excellent step-by-step Help file to guide anyone who is not perfectly comfortable with the program. Balancing our books was delightfully simple. All we had to do was fill in the appropriate fields … Read more

Yesterday's show with guest host Alli went so well that we ask her to help us out again! Today we show off some beautiful fan artwork, run through outdated tech terminology, dispel "Batman 3" rumors about Megan Fox, and more!

We want to give a huge shout-out and thanks to Joe from Honolulu for sending us these two amazing woodcarvings of The 404! We're still blown away by the level of detail in the paintings and the ridiculous amount of time it probably took to make. Best of all, we love that it's a collaborative effort between two 404 fans: Blake Stevenson helped design our logo and Joe just took it to the next level. Cheers to both of you!

We're all a little worried about Chris Nolan's next "Batman" movie. We've been hearing a lot of rumors about the follow-up to last year's "Dark Knight," and even though we think Megan Fox is next level hot, we just can't imagine her as Catwoman. First of all, there are one thousand other characters in the Batman universe, why resurrect the same ones over and over? Let's see a Killer Croc! In other Megan Fox news, gamers will be excited to hear that she will be on Xbox Live on Saturday, August 29 @ 3 p.m. PT to play Gold Members in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the Game. Cross your fingers and let us know if you actually play her!

Many more crazy stories from the Web in addition to an "Ask The 404" segment on today's show. Thanks for listening, all!

Update: 8:30 a.m.: To include iLike news.

The financial troubles dogging Qtrax, a peer-to-peer music service that has spent years trying to get off the ground, appear to be deepening.

Last month, CNET News reported that enterprise software giant Oracle had filed a lawsuit against New York-based Qtrax, alleging that the service owed it $1.9 million and had violated its copyright. Now, records show that at least two other companies have filed suit in New York against the music service in efforts to collect allegedly unpaid bills from the music start-up.

In addition, Qtrax is behind in … Read more