free

Maybe it's because we're getting old and our eyesight isn't what it used to be, but we much prefer using our iPad for productivity apps because of its larger screen. For that reason, we've been on the hunt for a simple calculator app for our iPad and were looking forward to trying out iCalculator for free. And what can we say? It's pretty bare bones, but gets the job done.

iCalculator for free introduces a very large, basic calculator -- you won't find a scientific calculator here. The buttons are very large, making this … Read more

There are some pretty cool drawing apps out there for kids. Draw and Paint Free with iPainter touts itself as a drawing app to keep kids occupied. While it does offer a blank canvas for kids to draw on, it also comes loaded with lots of inappropriate ads that kids can easily tap by accident.

We knew right away that Draw and Paint Free with iPainter wasn't kid-friendly when we were greeted with a pop-up ad for a Night Vision Pro app. And we were greeted with it every time we opened the app. That's strike one. The … Read more

The Free Software Foundation, never a friend to digital rights management, has taken issue with its arrival in the Web standards world.

In a letter from the FSF, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Creative Commons, and other allied groups yesterday, the group called on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to keep DRM out of the standards it defines.

"We write to implore the World Wide Web Consortium and its member organizations to reject the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) proposal," the groups said. "DRM restricts the public's freedom, even beyond what overzealous copyright law requires, to the perceived … Read more

Something as portable and easy to lose as your smartphone deserves more than the good intentions of strangers to protect your apps and data when (not if) it goes AWOL. With so many free security apps, why would you let that happen? Perfect App Protector Free is a great example. It's also called the Lite version of a Pro app. Some users may even know it as Perfect Applock Free. Whatever you call it, this easy-to-use but effective security app from Morrison Smart Software can protect your stuff. We tried it in a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android 4.… Read more

The name caught our attention: Android Defrag Free. Defrag Android? How? More to the point, why? Defragging doesn't benefit Android and can degrade flash memory. Some digging uncovered a partial explanation: The app doesn't actually defragment your Android device's flash memory and cards, although it suggests just that and even uses defrag-style graphics to drive the point home. But Android Defrag also claims to clear your caches and kill unnecessary apps and to delete and/or repair corrupted files. Unfortunately, so-called task killers usually aren't any more beneficial in Linux-based Android than file defragging. Android Defrag … Read more

Users working with large files need applications to compress them for sending over the Internet. Express Zip Free Mac Compression Software for Mac performs this function well, and also has additional useful features.

Available as freeware, Express Zip Free Mac Compression Software for Mac requires no payments to use. After download and installation, the user must accept a lengthy licensing agreement. After this is completed, the program brings up a window that allows download of additional programs, such as file converters for audio and video. The main application menu has few design features, but is functional. A help option that … Read more

Those who run small or home-based businesses need a method to track their business accounts. Express Accounts Free for Mac performs all expected accounting functions well and is simple enough for average users to operate.

Download and installation of Express Accounts Free for Mac finished quickly. The initial menu is one for additional programs that the user can download for additional functions, such as invoicing and point-of-sale applications. While it is not clear if there is technical support, tutorials are available through a link to the developer's Web site. The main menu is basic, but the major functions are … Read more

Those looking for good musical experiences on their mobile devices have many options. Piano Melody Free performs well, but it is still a poor approximation of an actual piano keyboard.

Installation of Piano Melody Free completed quickly, and the game immediately started with no sign in or input required from the user. There is no main menu and the interface is quite easy to use. A tutorial would have been useful, but the menus can be figured out in a few minutes of trial and error. The main screen is part of a piano keyboard. At the top, users can … Read more

It's extremely reassuring to see that hard drive activity light flashing to the beat of moving data. But suppose you have no activity light? With no LED, how will you know if everything's okay with your PC's HDD? Easy: Try Free HDD LED and see the light. My Portable Software's freeware displays the activity of your system's disk drives, including portable drives, in three places: a flashing system tray icon, a desktop gadget, and even your keyboard's scroll lock LED. It also monitors disk space and can even issue warnings when free space is … Read more