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Strong passwords fast

If devising secure passwords isn't your strong suit, this free password-creator is your answer. You can set the desired password length with the slide bar or, more interactively, by shaking the device to get your random number. You can also define passwords for hex encryption from the main interface. If you're the forgetful type, you can also e-mail the password to yourself as a back-up.

To its credit, the app gives you flexibility in including or excluding letters and special characters--though your password will be stronger with both. Still on our wish list are ways to manually set … Read more

Hands on with the Cowon S9

(Update: CNET's full review of the Cowon S9 is now available.)

Cowon's S9 touch-screen MP3 player has arrived, bringing the expected music, video, and photo playback, and extras such as FM radio, Bluetooth, voice/radio/line recording, a Flash player, and a text reader. So far, I'd say the S9's design is spot-on, with a slight curved back and a bright 16:9-formatted OLED screen set at a 480x272-pixel resolution. The user interface is also quite impressive, combined with Cowon's choice of a capacitive touch screen, the onscreen control is about as attractive and responsive as you can get without investing in an iPod Touch.

The Cowon S9 comes in 8GB and 16GB capacities priced at $199 and $239, respectively. The cost could be worth it if you're a real stickler for sound quality, as the S9 is Cowon's first player to include the suite of BBE+ sound enhancements. The BBE+ suite improves on the already impressive BBE effects included in CNET faves like the D2 and iAudio 7, adding more than 30 presets in addition to a five-band EQ with independent bandwidth control.

Now for the bad news. The first drawback I've noticed on the Cowon S9 is that it just feels kind of cheap--which is a complaint I rarely have with Cowon. Unlike the glass and steel design of the iPod Touch, the S9 uses an all-plastic design that--though lightweight--has a hollow and flimsy feel. Even the all-plastic Samsung P2 feels a little more durable and substantial. … Read more

Light and strobes in a flash

Literally a flashlight of a different color, myLite goes beyond the majority of bland iPhone flashlight applications to bring you the full spectrum of colors and strobes, including SOS lighting and a lighter to get into the concert act. It's dead simple to operate, and you may one day find yourself needing its pulsing red rays as an emergency strobe or its neon green beacon to signal a friend in a crowded concert. At the very least, it will impress the kiddies and you'll be all set to host spontaneous dance parties.

'SimCity' arrives on the iPhone

To the stable of games for the iPhone, you can now add the legendary SimCity.

Electronic Arts' city-building game, priced at $9.99, is now available for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Users can take advantage of the touch-screen technology to design and construct their vision of an urban landscape.

MG Siegler at VentureBeat, who's had a chance to play with the game for a while, waxed enthusiastic about the touch-screen qualities and more--"SimCity is a very impressive game on the iPhone"--but warned of some lingering bugs from the game's demo period:… Read more

SimCity Released for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Electronic Arts (EA) has released SimCity (iTunes link) for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The app is priced at $9.99 and is being well received by iTunes customers earning an average rating of four stars.

Movement in the game is accomplished via finger flicks, while zooming in and out is accomplished with the pinching gestures. Helpful tutorials are available to guide you if you are new to SimCity. However even veteran SimCity players will probably need to consult these tutorials due to the iPhone unique interface. Like the regular SimCity you have to decide what you want to do with … Read more

Intel's twist on the Classmate PC debuting at CES

Updated at 11:30 a.m. PT with pricing info.

Intel has a convertible Netbook on tap for the CES 2009 crowd assembling once again in Las Vegas next month.

Laptop magazine got a sneak peek at the newest version of the low-cost Classmate PC. It has an 8.9-inch swivel screen with touch and stylus input, a Web cam, and 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, 60GB hard drive, and Windows XP, with a few Intel touches to make XP work for the convertible form factor. So far, that includes Vision Objects Pen Input, which makes anything input via … Read more

iPod Touch 8G + $50 Best Buy Gift Card + free 'Spore Origins' game = $230 at BestBuy

Looking for a reason to buy yourself a new iPod Touch during the holidays? BestBuy is here to help. For $230, you can pick up a second generation 8G iPod Touch, and also receive a $50 Best Buy Gift Card, and the game "Spore Origins" for no additional cost--all with free shipping. The iPod Touch is yours and you can give the gift card to them. Happy holidays for all! (Note, iPod Touch is back ordered online, check for in store pickup.) Till next time. JT

Bartend like a pro

Here's a good way to become the most popular person at a party or bar--suggest and mix interesting cocktails. But if you're only interested in the most common drinks of our day, you may want to wait for version 2, which will feature more shots and modern drinks; this set will make the classics new again.

Regardless, Drinks for iPhone and iPod Touch is still one of the better bartending applications in its category, featuring great navigation to quickly get you to your favorites, the entire drinks library, or a search by mixers, liquor type, or garnish (in … Read more

Looks good, less filling

Cocktails recipes may be the sustaining purpose and anchor for the bartending application Party Pro, but the drinks library isn't the only character in the cast. An international unit converter, basic bartending tips, and a blood alcohol calculator make up the other three-fourths of the application, along with those recipes for the Lady Love Fizz and the Bloody Brain.

While the library is excellent, the application's organization could make the recipes more readily accessible. Instead, it favors a list-like architecture. The search function would be better were it predictive, and the application's bar locator misses an opportunity … Read more