studying

WinFlash Educator is a needlessly complicated study aid program. It won't save you time over creating flash cards with plain index cards and a set of markers, and the added functionality it offers over the paper versions isn't enough to justify spending the time using this overly complex program.

WinFlash Educator has a Help file, demos, and a tutorial, which is a good thing, because it is nearly impossible to figure out how to use the program without them. The unappealing interface isn't intuitive, and once you get to the right screen to begin creating your questions, … Read more

WordBanker English-Arabic allows users to practice their Arabic vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Arabic vocabulary.

The program's interface is not particularly attractive and can sometimes be hard to navigate. Each function opens a separate window within the program, and it's hard to know at first if closing the window is going to take you back to the main menu or close the program completely. Continued use of the program helps with this. … Read more

Flash Card Factory provides users with a simple way of improving their foreign language vocabulary. Though it features a pair of excellent tools for the job, the program doesn't provide all it promises.

The program's interface will take some experimenting in order to get used to it. For the most part, navigating and utilizing its functions is simple, but the smaller tools are unlabeled, and it might take a visit to the Help file to fully understand them. The program's flash card function was the highlight of the program. A cartoon image of a hand holding a … Read more

Natali has some tips for secure password hints that involve her armpits. You'll just have to listen. We also give our thoughts on Office 2010 and what kids these days are doing on the Internet. That includes Brian Tong.

First Take: Microsoft Office 2010 technical preview http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10284013-12.html

Monday's Office 2010 preview leaks to BitTorrent http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135454/Monday_s_Office_2010_preview_leaks_to_BitTorrent?taxonomyId=1

Ericsson to run Sprint's wireless network, but how? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/ericssons-rx-for-us-broadband.ars… Read more

MB Learn Graphology gives users a tutorial and a test on the many details involved in a person's handwriting. With a simple setup, users can begin reading between the lines and interpreting handwriting samples.

The interface of this program was surprisingly simple, given the complicated subject matter. Users navigate the tutorial and the test by mouse clicks that are well labeled. In addition, the photography is crisp and adds to the experience. There is a Help file, but the layout of this program is so self-explanatory most will not need assistance. This program is divided into two primary functions: … Read more

We here at CNET get all of our movies and music the old-fashioned way: through hard work, grit, and elbow grease. We roll up our sleeves, suck it up, and put in the hard work. (Sorry, I was going for the record of most cliches in one paragraph there. I can't confirm what I just wrote is actually true.)

So, yes, CNET does it the hard way (I think), but not everyone does. In University of Cambridge professor Patricia Akester's report titled "Technological accommodation of conflicts between freedom of expression and DRM: the first empirical assessment,"… Read more

Are your easily distracted kids having trouble getting motivated to write that term paper? Why not chain them to their desks until they've done what they're supposed to do? It might sound a bit extreme, but hey, if you want your kids to get into Harvard, sometimes extremes are what it takes!

The Study Ball is a prison-style ball and 16.5-inch chain with a built-in, programmable timer. Select the desired duration of the study session and chain the ball to the ankle in question, and the steel manacle won't come off until the scheduled time is … Read more

I just can't wrap my head around this development--not because it's so big, but because it's so tiny.

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a "nanoneedle" with a diameter of approximately 50 nanometers--about half the size of previously reported nanoneedles.

To put this in perspective, it turns out that the thinnest human head hair is about 10,000 times thicker than this new needle. Obviously, the majority of us won't find any use for a needle of this size. However, this is a breakthrough device with applications for biophysical research.

The nanoneedle is designed to penetrate the membrane of a living cell for the targeted delivery of one or more molecules into the cytoplasm or the nucleus. In addition, it can be used as an electrochemical probe and as an optical biosensor.… Read more

Islam is getting a little help from Britain's Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism, which says it plans to train government-approved groups to "flood the Internet" with "positive" interpretations of that religion in an online fight against radicalization.

The OSCT plans to coach moderate Islamic groups on how to manipulate the Google rankings of their Web sites in order to boost the online profile of moderate voices in the Muslim community, reports The Register, a British online investigative newspaper.

It is widely understood that terrorists use the Web to radicalize and recruit the vulnerable and disaffected; … Read more