mastering

The iPad is a perfect device for creating, tracking, and managing your lists. It's mobile, it's constantly connected for mobile syncing, and the interface is intuitive enough to make entry and editing a snap. So the List Master Lite app has a lot going for it; it's a free app that provides many of the same tools as the expensive productivity tools on the App Store. But does it do enough to provide a realistic alternative to those pricey apps?

When you first open List Master Lite, a handful of pop-ups will warn you about the trial … Read more

Have you found yourself wishing that your Android's battery would last longer? Don't answer that, I already know. Be it poor app design, ever-larger display sizes, or our constant desire to play mobile games, we're eating up battery life faster than we'd like.

As a platform, Android has improved with each iteration and task management, and multitasking keeps getting smarter.

With that said, one of the first complaints from new smartphone users is that the battery doesn't seem to live up to expectations. Sure, the 2013 crop of flagship phones seems promising, but not everyone … Read more

The debate still rages as to whether task killers and memory optimizers actually do anything on Android. Optimize Master is another entry that claims to help you win back some extra memory and CPU power. It didn't seem to do much during testing, though, and it lacked some of the convenience of other optimizing apps, as well.

Though the app has a smooth, easy-to-navigate layout for one-touch boosting, it doesn't offer a home screen widget. That means you have to open the app to get to the good stuff, which is an unnecessary step with similar apps. The … Read more

It probably annoys you when people pick up your Android phone and fiddle with it; but beyond irritation, it's also a potential security risk. For one thing, your privacy could be compromised. For another, your phone's settings could be changed, accidentally or deliberately. A simple app has an equally simple solution: password protection for only those apps you want to protect. That's what Power Apps Tools' Applock Master does. You set a password or locking pattern, and Applock Master keeps protected apps from opening until you enter your password or remove them from the locked list. Applock … Read more

If you've been to a small shop or corner store lately, you might have seen a manager or owner toting around an iPad. There's good reason for this, as the compact devices make perfect mobile computers to track inventory, ring up sales, and manage staff and resources. Store Master is designed to make this process even simpler; but with so many tools and features, it might profit from more user guidance.

Store Master, at first glance, is overwhelming. The developers have crammed so many features into the app that the learning curve can be pretty steep upon first … Read more

When shopping for a new monitor, degrees of swivel, tilt, and pivot aren't usually at the top of the wish list. But ergonomic options are important for the comfort and placement of your work space. Some monitors are designed with no options for adjusting your physical viewing experience, and an inefficient monitor setup can result in bad posture, eye strain, and other physical discomfort.

Whether you use your monitor for work or play, these models are chock-full of ergonomic features to maximize productivity by reducing fatigue and discomfort. Make sure to click on the photos of each monitor to see a demonstration of how they work. … Read more

Today Foursquare announced you can now connect a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card to your account. With a card connected, you'll be eligible to receive a discount just for checking into a participating business. One business currently running a special based on the new credit card deals would be Burger King.

Users who connect a card to their account can check in to any participating Burger King, spend $10 or more, pay with the connected card, and receive $1 credit on their card. The process is identical to that of the American Express integration Foursquare has had … Read more

Money in the bank. That's the motivation behind a new Foursquare initiative that lets members link their Visa and MasterCard credit or debit cards and redeem money-back specials from participating merchants.

Foursquare, a company banking on check-ins to power its Explore discovery feature, aims to encourage more of its 30 million members to tell the application where they are with the additional freebies. The places-centric social network also hopes to cash in from the program. The company pockets a fee for every credit redemption it processes.