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5.9

Delivery Status for Mac 5.9.2 Review

Users who need to track multiple deliveries from several sources often need to check many Web sites for information. Delivery Status for Mac allows users to track many sources easily from one location, making it a useful app for those with many deliveries.

The program is available as a free widget for the Mac dashboard. Delivery Status for Mac installs quickly into the widget area, but the user does have to add it to the dashboard to operate. Once set up, the application's interface is easy to use, despite the lack of user instructions. Support for product updates is … Read more

Protect your system with Comodo Firewall

If you're running a fairly recent edition of Windows, you're probably also using the built-in Windows Firewall. It does a good job, but there's no reason not to take advantage of much more capable (yet just as free) firewalls, especially when they're easier to use and come with significant extras. Take Comodo Firewall: This full-featured, multilayer firewall application uses cloud-based data to analyze new programs and data to prevent attacks, including zero-day attacks. It protects your system from viruses, Trojans, worms, hacker attacks, and other threats. Extras include a Geek Buddy subscription, the SecureDNS network, and … Read more

Play piano on your PC with ButtonBeats Virtual Piano Black

ButtonBeats Virtual Piano Black is a cool Flash app that simulates a piano keyboard on your desktop. You can play it with your mouse or with optional keyboard controls. By tapping out notes in a numbered sequence, even total beginners can play simple tunes like "Happy Birthday" and "Jingle Bells" to more complex melodies such as those by Mozart, Bach, and the Beatles.

Virtual Piano's interface does indeed look like a real piano keyboard, albeit a reduced one, with attractive highlights on the black keys, which are functional. That was a good sign since we'… Read more

Code on the go with Notepad++ Portable

Notepad++ is a popular application that combines the functionality of the built-in Windows programs Notepad and WordPad; the basic text-editing features of Notepad are augmented by some of the more advanced formatting tools present in WordPad. Notepad++ Portable is a smaller, portable version of Notepad++, with the same features as the full version in a package that can be used on the go.

Like the regular version of Notepad++, Notepad++ Portable sports an attractive interface, with menus and buttons across the top. Although anyone with the need to edit text could conceivably make use of the program, it's geared … Read more

Basic PDF utility

PDF files are a part of just about everybody's life now, but many people don't have applications that are capable of doing much with these files besides viewing them. Quick PDF Tools is a small suite of utilities that lets users do more with their PDF files than just look at them. It's not the most feature-filled program we've ever seen, but it's not a bad choice if you're looking to perform a few basic tasks with your PDFs.

The program appears in the Windows context menu, so all you have to do is … Read more

Not worth the price

This program offers people the ability to rename large batches of files in one fell swoop. After we put it to the test, we were left disappointed by its poorly designed user interface and trial limitations.

Batch FileName Editor claims to have an easy-to-use interface, but we found it to be just the opposite. The bright command buttons are vague and don't offer users much direction. We selected a folder that contained the files that we wanted to rename. The Insert command introduced a new window that was just as vague and confusing. We finally found our bearings, but … Read more

Search and send with a click

Cleeki's Select-n-Go add-on for Firefox is one of many extensions that attempts to solve the problem of looking up information engendered from the content of a Web page, without leaving your current tab. Highlight a word on a Web page to see a tiny blue button pop out below (if the word is on Wikipedia, you'll see a small Wikipedia logo float above.) Click the blue button to open a menu stuffed with more icons that will initiate a search for the word when you click them--including Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo, The Free Dictionary, and Amazon. Not only do … Read more

Samsung floats new phone designs at 3GSM

Samsung joined Motorola in making a big splash at the 3GSM in Barcelona. The company introduced a selection of high-end phones that feature new designs and improved interfaces.

The F520 has a unique dual-slider design that performs much like the dual-hinged Samsung SCH-u740. The F520 slides vertically to reveal the number keypad and horizontally to show the QWERTY keyboard. The new Flash-based menu interface utilizes a touch screen along with the normal navigation controls. There's a 3-megapixel camera and all the usual high-end refinements, but with support for the 900/800/1900 GSM bands and the 2100 UMTS band … Read more