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Sometimes less really is more, and software that does a single task well is better than a feature-rich app that bogs down performance, clogs system memory, or over-reaches its abilities. Here are seven programs that were built to do a specific job, and succeed. These downloads may not have all the fixin's, but they taste great all the same.

UPDATED: We asked for your favorite picks and you responded. Here are five fresh one-trick ponies of the software world that you just love to bits.

MediaCell Video Converter This multiformat video converter makes the list thanks to a three-part, one-pane interface from which you browse for the video file, select the mobile device you'll be watching it on, and click the large, bubbly "convert" button. No need to concern yourself with file formats, bit rates, and sound quality. While users certainly can tweak the volume and settings themselves in the app's "output" section, MediaCell Video Converter's preset optimizations per device make it unnecessary for most.… Read more

It seems that a few iPhone users are encountering problems with the iPhone's touch screen, prompting Apple to replace some units.

Posters on Apple's support discussion boards and forums belonging to both AppleInsider and MacRumors have complained of dead spots on their iPhone's touch screen, almost like the old floor at the old Boston Garden. On a phone based almost entirely around touch-screen input, this would obviously be a serious problem.

It's not at all clear how widespread a problem this is. There were several active discussions about the problem on Apple's own support forums, … Read more

OK, so some Cravers out there weren't exactly sold on the waterproof GPS unit for bikes cited earlier. We can't blame you. But here's an accoutrement for your bi-wheeled lifestyle that we think would be hard to pass up. This Vespa GTS250 has been outfitted with a Wi-Fi-equipped computer purportedly with a touch-screen display and sound system to boot. To top it off, according to Engadget, it even has a Louis Vuitton seat. We would have preferred Gucci, but we're not ones to quibble.

It doesn't happen often, but even the diabolical Hello Kitty can commit the occasional blunder in its quest to conquer the world. Case in point: While seeking to control every facet of our lives, from finances to driving, its latest ploy seems to be protecting privacy with a screen shade for handheld LCDs.

But there's one thing the evil feline didn't take into account with the "Hello Kitty Mail Peeping Block and Display Protect Sticker" spotted on Shiny Shiny. It's supposed to block prying eyes from spying something sensitive or potentially embarrassing, but what … Read more

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

As flat-screen TVs continue to evolve, so does the design of furnishings around them--some less successfully than others, as evidenced by the combo TV fireplace. And, as is to be expected, the Italians are leading the way.

Bruno Fattorini is the latest designer to meld form and function with this TV panel from MDF Italia, which BornRich says is equipped to flush-mount plasmas and LCDs in sizes from 37 to 50 inches. It comes in such finishes as anthracite gray and anodized aluminum. This isn't just an updated '70s wall unit in faux oak veneer.

We eagerly await the … Read more

Being a PC person, I've encountered the dreaded "blue screen of death."

I've never seen a comparable thing on Apple products. (I have heard of the sad Mac face, or the sick iPod face.) So, much to my surprise, starting a couple days ago I noticed what appeared to be a "black screen of death." Everything stops working. The time bar at top is there, but the rest of the screen is black. No touching. No prodding of the home key. No pressing of the upper right key will get the thing working again.… Read more

So here's the deal: If there's going to be any meaningful backlash against touch screens, it may require some innovative thinking on the part of button proponents. But we hope that it won't depend on the likes of Vertu and their $310,000 phones.

Nokia, at least, appears to be doing its part with a new design for the "7500 Prism" handset destined for the Chinese market for about $290, according to Gizmodiva. Its contribution to the cause? Triangular buttons that form a diamond pattern on the keypad.

We were just relieved to find that … Read more

Portable DVD players seem to come in all shapes and sizes these days--and sometimes in pairs. Yes, the Disney dual-screen Mobile DVD player has arrived at our New York offices, along with one of Disney's new Pix Max digital cameras, which sports a "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme.

The idea behind the dual-screen DVD player ($180) is that two backseat riders can watch the same movie at the same time, with neither person having to deal with the perils of off-axis viewing. Both screens feature a 7-inch LCD display that straps onto the back of a headrest; … Read more