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Digital signatures made free and easy with DigiSigner

Digital signatures aren't just common in business, they're critical. Digitally signing your documents protects your rights and helps reassure your clients and customers. DigiSigner is a compact, free tool for digitally signing PDFs as well as verifying signatures. The signatures it produces are completely compatible with Adobe Reader, and vice versa. It can also use a variety of key files, including Windows' key store, smart cards, and PFX or PKCS#12 files.

DigiSigner requires an up-to-date version of Java, which its setup wizard can install if necessary. Its efficient interface opened with an optional tutorial that explained each … Read more

Apple fixes download bug for iPhone OS 3.1.3 users

iPhone owners still using OS 3.1.3 can once again install new apps from the App Store.

Users running the older OS reported on Apple's Support Communities over the past week that they were unable to download and install new apps directly onto their iPhone and iPod Touch devices, though they could update existing apps and sync new apps from iTunes. The glitch seemed specific to OS 3.1.3, though some iPhone 4S users with iOS 5 reported a similar problem.

As of yesterday afternoon, forum users started chiming in that the download bug had been squashed.… Read more

Sick PC? Call the PC Doctor

Kingsoft PC Doctor is a free bundle of system protection and maintenance utilities. It includes tools to clean, protect, and optimize your browser, operating system, registry, and data. It's by Kingsoft, a Chinese software company, and some of the documentation seems to have been translated by machine. For instance, the software offered to scan our system to "find out what damage your PC health." We're always leery when we see glaring errors in translation since they're so easy to avoid and suggest a lack of attention to detail that can show up in more critical … Read more

iPhone OS 3.1.3 users unable to download new apps

iPhone owners still running OS 3.1.3 are apparently bumping into trouble trying to download new apps from Apple's App Store.

Several users of the older OS have chimed in on Apple's Support Communities reporting that they can update existing apps and sync apps from iTunes to their phones, but they can't install new apps directly to their devices.

One commenter described the problem in part as follows:

Whenever I go into a specific app in the app store, none of the buttons work properly. 1) clicking on the price no longer downloads the app, 2) … Read more

Read Google Books with the free GooReader

We'll admit that the first thing we thought of when GooReader was mentioned wasn't Google Books, though that was the second thing. We didn't bother to explore the first possibility, which is just as well because GooReader turned out to be a pretty nice free e-book reader for Google Books. As you know, Google is into everything, including e-books, and in a big way. It offers quick access to millions of titles, many of them free, and helps you manage your e-book purchases. Its animated 3D graphics give the e-books a realistic appearance.

You'll need to … Read more

Empty the Recycle Bin from your system tray with MiniBin

MiniBin is a free recycling bin for your Windows system tray, also known as the notification area. It lets you open or empty the Recycle Bin from the system tray, or drag and drop items into it. It can serve as a Recycle Bin replacement if you're using a desktop environment that hides or disables the default bin. But it also makes a great little trash bin, sort of an ashtray for the system tray. It even includes some themes for changing the tray icon's look.

After we installed MiniBin, we clicked the system tray and selected Customize … Read more

Race your startup with BootRacer

BootRacer is a free utility that measures how long it takes your PC to boot up and saves it in an archive. You can use it to compare boot times when you make changes, such as removing programs from your startup file. It doesn't display your boot record, though it does measure Time to Logon, Logon to Desktop, and other increments. It writes events to the standard event log, which you can view with Windows Event Viewer. It can't make any changes to your system that affect your boot time, but it will try to get you to … Read more

Spiff up your snapshots with Amazifier

Amazifier is an easy tool for jazzing up your digital pictures. It can resize images, correct red-eye, and add frames, stickers, text, and other effects, but its unique interface makes for a user-friendly experience. We tested the freeware version; a premium upgrade adds more features. If you're new to photo-editing tools or feel intimidated by Filters, Layers, and Gammas, Amazifier could be just what you're looking for.

Amazifier's interface is designed to be as attractive and easy to use as possible, and it largely achieves that goal. A left-hand panel accesses its self-descriptive tools: Stickers, Text & … Read more

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 priced at $469 and $569

Samsung will sell its new Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wi-Fi-only tablet for $469 for the 16GB edition and $569 for the 32GB version.

On its Web site, the company promised only that the new tablet would be "coming soon," and Samsung did not immediately answer CNET's request to confirm a launch date. But Engadget says the 8.9-incher could debut as soon as Thursday.

Taskbar Classic Start Menu works, but with a hitch

A lot of changes came with Windows 7, including changes to the Start menu. Taskbar Classic Start Menu lets you go back in time to the days of Windows 2000 and Me, by way of a system notification icon. The menu gives you the best of both Windows worlds, but we found one glitch that prevents us from recommending it.

When installed, Taskbar Classic Start Menu appears as an icon in your system tray. Right-clicking it introduces a Start menu that indeed looks and acts just like Windows 2000 and Me menus. You'll find the Run, Settings, Programs, Favorites, … Read more