Utilities and drivers

Webware's official alarm clock

Here's another PC-based alarm clock: Naked Alarm Clock. It's just a little Flash-based clock with ringers. Things I like about it: It's easy to program. It has loud alarms, and you can turn them off by mashing the space bar. Second, although it's Web-based, it's a self-contained Flash application, so it will ring even if your Internet connection dies in the middle of the night. It's missing a snooze alarm, though.

I might actually use this as an alarm clock next time I'm in a hotel. Yeah, I could use my mobile phone, … Read more

Griffin iTrip StationFinder (iPhone App)

Have you ever been on a road trip trying to find a good radio station only to sift through tons of static before finding anything? With Griffin iTrip StationFinder for iPhone, random radio scanning is a thing of the past. To find the music to fit your mood on the FM dial, just touch the state you're in followed by the city to get a list of FM stations right on your iPhone. We would have liked a small description of each station along with the genre to get a feel for what we're choosing, but knowing which … Read more

Power Downloader makes a capture

Recently Power Downloader was working on a top-secret project, which required him to grab screenshots of Internet criminals off the Web. Some pages had individual shots of the criminal in question, while other sites showed multiple photos on a page. As he slogged through the Web pages, Power quickly began to realize that the method of pressing the Print Screen key to capture what's on the screen was pretty inefficient. Once you have the screenshot in the clipboard, you still have to paste it into another program, and then name it and save it. Power realized that, when you have a lot of images to deal with, using the Print Screen process can be downright frustrating.… Read more

Multiplicity: Maximal home networking

Imagine a work space with three monitors standing side by side, each displaying a different work environment. E-mail and IM are pulled up on one monitor, Word processing is open on a second, and a spreadsheet graces the third. Now imagine the cursor flitting effortlessly between the screens, clicking, copying, and pasting from one to the other. One keyboard sits on the desk, and just one mouse.

This is no multimonitor setup; each screen here is controlled by its own computer. It isn't remote access software, either, since the controlling console is linked to the satellite computer. It's Multiplicity, and minus one rather large and glaring kink, it's pretty close to a multitasker's dreamware.… Read more

Power Downloader prepares for the worst

If there's one thing Power Downloader has learned while working with computers and software, it's that there will inevitably be problems. With new viruses and new strains of spyware set loose onto the Web every day, Power knows he needs to stay on top of updates and the latest definitions for his programs. But even with the best protection available, occasionally something can sneak through Power's defenses, leaving his computer unusable.

To make sure he's prepared for the worst, Power Downloader keeps a bootable CD with a variety of programs meant to troubleshoot an otherwise unusable … Read more

CrossLoop beta adds file transfers to its screen sharing

I've been a big fan of the free screen-sharing software CrossLoop ever since I originally tried it back in November 2006. Basically, CrossLoop lets any two users share a desktop. One PC "hosts" the CrossLoop session and the other "joins." The computer joined to the host can see and control everything on the host PC's desktop. CrossLoop is still in beta release, but I think it's an excellent no-hassle solution for low-budget tech support.

I recently gained access to a new private beta of CrossLoop 1.1, the first major update to the software since its initial release. The past year has seen CrossLoop mostly expanding its localized language support, so it's refreshing to see some improvements to the program's feature set. There are only a few new features, but they are rather essential additions.… Read more

Power Downloader makes space on his hard drive

During a recent mission, Power Downloader was working on some top-secret documents that he could only entrust to his superhero-grade hard drive. The only problem was, when Power went through the usual steps for saving and storing secret documents, he found that his most secure hard drive was almost totally full. He quickly realized he had no choice but to find a way to make room on his hard drive.… Read more

Mobile software for vacationing workaholics

There is a particular social type that can't completely relax on vacation without knowing that the means to access their work is nearby. For that courageous bunch, undeterred by their family's best efforts to retreat to the least technological of leafy hamlets possible, is a collection of top-rated mobile productivity software. Happy Fourth of July.

Take data with you The $50 price tag on Documents to Go may seem steep for the casual consumer of Microsoft Office documents, but for Palm users who might need to view Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations by the light of the fireworks, … Read more

Listingly (iPhone App)

Just about every household chore and Saturday errand is born on a list. But instead of breaking out the pad and paper, why not make your lists on the iPhone? This app is the mobile gateway to the Listingly site, which allows you to make complex, customizable lists and share them with other people. Go to the Web site link below for a quick 1-minute tour of Listingly's many uses.

iPhone link: http://www.listingly.com/iphone/

Web site link: http://www.listingly.com/