9.1

The most typical drawback of Google Maps for navigation is the data usage that occurs during the entire time you are navigating. Unlike Google Maps, CoPilot GPS doesn't have to constantly download and update the map as you move along the road. It operates similarly to a traditional GPS.

Copilot GPS welcomed us with an attractive layout. The app is well designed and intuitive. During the setup, this app requires you to pick a map and download it. At this stage of setup it is highly recommended that you are connected to a Wi-Fi network due to speed and … Read more

Soon there will be more than just one way to contact 911.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced today that the four largest wireless carriers in the U.S. have agreed to fast track a service that will let people text the emergency 911 line.

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile have all signed on and major deployments are planned to roll out in 2013 and the service should be fully available nationwide by May 15, 2014.

"Access to 911 must catch up with how consumers communicate in the 21st century -- and today, we are … Read more

iPhoto 11 is the latest version of the popular photo management and editing software from Apple. There are quite a few new features in iPhoto 11 that will appeal to users, as well as tweaks of the veteran software app. iPhoto 11 is preloaded on new Macs, and can be downloaded from the App Store.

iPhoto 11 is used to organize photos into categories, produce slideshows, and create photobooks and cards, as well as share your photos online easily. More than that, iPhoto 11 is a photo-editing package that lets you manipulate images to make them more attractive. Improvements in … Read more

Logic Pro 9 is the latest version of Apple's music recording, editing, and mixing suite. This is not a cheap package, but you get a lot of power built in. Logic Pro 9 installs easily and the interfaces are all Apple-quality, meaning easy to use and understand.

Logic Pro 9 starts with the writing and recording component. You can see traditional musical notation on the screen if you want to compose, or you can play instruments through a MIDI interface and see the resulting notes in real time (really cool!). You can record to separate tracks, or multiple tracks … Read more

Spotflux is a free encrypted VPN client that routes your Internet traffic through a series of secure servers that mask your actual IP and make it virtually impossible to trace the connection back to your computer. Unlike some VPN clients, Spotflux is easy enough for anyone to use.

Spotflux has a unique Setup wizard that offers more options than most installers, including extra software we declined to install. The first thing Spotflux did when it launched was to secure our Internet connection by changing our settings to conform to the secure network's servers. Our browser opened with our secure … Read more

Media Player Classic-Home Cinema (MPC-HC for short) is a true classic among media players. It can play nearly every media file format, both audio and video, and also plays DVD content. With its old-school interface and widespread customizability, it may not be the best choice if you're looking for a click-and-forget player for video and audio files. But those who require more control over their media playback will appreciate the extra options MPC-HC offers. Since this program is lightweight, it's compatible with nearly every Windows edition since 98 (which it still supports). Moving forward in time, MPC-HC is … Read more

Hackers are like unruly sailors on liberty when it comes to open ports: You can't keep them out, and they leave disaster in their wake. Protecting your ports is essential to keeping your system safe, and that starts with knowledge of your system's ports and whether they're Wide Open or Closed for the Duration. Free Port Scanner is just the tool for the job. This simple freeware from Network Security Audit Software (Nsasoft) thoroughly scans and tests your system's ports. It can reveal vulnerable access points so you can take action to close them to attackers.… Read more

System information utilities scan your system to extract information about its hardware, software, and usage. They're usually free and often portable, and they tend to extract the same sort of information, just more or less of it, depending on the tool. Where they differ most is what they do with that information, which essentially means how they present it. Free PC Audit from MIS Utilities is portable freeware that places more emphasis on convenient presentation and ease of use than on fine detail and endless options.

Free PC Audit runs when you click its executable file, which means you … Read more

Simnet Registry Defrag 2010 is a free tool that analyzes and defragments the Windows Registry, restoring some of the performance that daily use tends to erode. And, like many free registry utilities, it will also scan your system for other performance problems, find them, and offer to install shareware to fix them. However, unlike many "free utilities" that do nothing but find problems for other software to fix, Simnet Registry Defrag actually defragments the registry. It's easy to use, too, and seems to do a good job.

Registry Defrag has a stylish interface with a minimum of … Read more