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Create photo collages with PicStory

This app offers one of the easiest and most effective ways to combine multiple photos into one work of art. If you want to combine some smartphone pictures but don't have the editing chops, then PicStory is for you. It gives you enough effects to add a nice touch of personality and even has a fun social networking element.

The app offers hundreds of combinations of frames, borders, and animations for you to choose from. You can unlock even more by downloading a few affiliated apps, but you probably won't need any more options. PicStory's photo editor … Read more

Find available Wi-Fi hot spots on the map with WeFI

Sifting through the dozens of hot spots available sucks up valuable time that you could be using to work. WeFi will connect to open hot spots for you. It doesn't add much to the options already on Windows, but it is a very neat program to look at.

From the looks of it, this program seems like it's trying to be a Foursquare for Wi-Fi. It lays out hot spots on a map and gives you the opportunity to review and connect automatically to them. However, it doesn't do the best job of locating your computer on … Read more

View and edit MS Office docs with Polaris Office

The BYOD (bring-your-own-device) trend is a new reality, with employees bringing their own smartphones and tablets into the workplace. The idea is to be more productive, but compatibility issues with applications can hinder that. Case in point is Microsoft Office: the only way you can view and edit MS Office documents on your Apple device (for now) is by installing a third-party app. Polaris Office is such an app; it offers users a way to view and edit MS Office docs, as well as PDFs, with incredible ease. We tested it on our iPad.

Polaris Office opens with sample Word, … Read more

Motorola updates Android Jelly Bean plans

Good news to anyone who's hungry for Jelly Bean: Motorola recently modified a customer support page that outlines the various devices expected to receive Android updates.

The Motorola Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD are the latest to see the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, both of which are reflected on the support page. Looking ahead, the Atrix HD will be next in line to see the update, slated for later this month.

Moving into the new year, the Electrify M and both versions of the Xoom tablet should see an update prompt in Q1. As … Read more

Citizen's analog watch ticks into the future

As timepieces become more of a fashion accessory than a necessity, established watchmakers such as Citizen find themselves in a bit of an evolutionary pickle: "How do we remain relevant?"

Perhaps the answer to that question falls upon the company's new line of watches called Proximity. The watches offer low-power Bluetooth 4.0 functionality and a partner app (inconspicuously named Citizen Eco-Drive Proximity) that only works with the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5. Sorry about that Android and Windows Phone. … Read more

RadioShack Wireless adds $119 HTC Desire C

RadioShack Wireless today added another Android-based handset to its burgeoning roster of no-contract smartphones. Available just in time for the holiday shopping season, the HTC Desire C can now be yours for a cool $119.99.

While it's certainly not going to replace your existing Android experience, it's plenty for a first-time smartphone adopter. Those who want to dip their toes in the Android waters without breaking the bank will likely appreciate the device.

Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Desire C features a 3.5-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, a 600MHz processor, 512MB RAM, … Read more

Ultrathin Wallet Trackr monitors your billfold without the bulge

Maybe you're less forgetful than I am, but I'm pretty sure that most of people have, at some point or other, realized all too late that they've left their wallet at home or in the car. (If you're like me, this happens at least weekly.) With the help of your smartphone and an app, Phone Halo's new Wallet Trackr can let you know that you've misplaced your billfold, clutch, or purse before you get too far away from it.

If you've read our review of the Cobra Tag (which is also powered by … Read more

Sync between your Mac and mobile devices easily

SyncMate is an app that synchronizes content between a Mac and mobile devices (iOS, BlackBerry, Android, and Windows Mobile). You can also sync e-mail and contacts with external cloud providers like Google and Yahoo. SyncMate is easy to install.

When it's launched, you can configure SyncMate to synchronize a number of sources from the Mac with your mobile devices. As mentioned, you can sync e-mails, contacts, files, music, video, and other types of content quite easily. You can even synchronize with handheld gaming platforms like the Sony PSP. Syncing can be done in real time, if the devices are … Read more

Annoyingly addictive introduction to the Angry Birds series

Unless you've lived in a cave with no connectivity for the last few years, you've heard about Angry Birds. Angry Birds Free is the introduction to the series and acts as a teaser for the paid app. Angry Birds Free downloads and installs with no problem.

The goal of Angry Birds Free is to launch birds from a slingshot, aiming them at structures with green pigs scattered about. The birds, some of which have special capabilities, knock over the building structures and kill the pigs. Wipe out the pigs and you pass the level. Sounds simple (and to … Read more

Create a collage with ease using Collage Create Lite

Collage Creator Lite by SilkenMermaid is a Mac app that does exactly what the name implies. It helps you create collages out of your images and offers a few editing options. It may not be as robust as other photo management apps, but it is very easy to use.

The installation process for this application was quick and painless. The interface is plain but easy to understand, with only three options to choose from: Pictures, Settings, and Text. In order to add pictures simply click the Plus button that appears below these choices. Your images appear in the white space … Read more