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Review: Tweak images using Photo Zoe Editor for Mac

Photo editing programs can be geared towards the digital editing expert or the novice. Despite a lack of user guidance, the free Photo Zoe Editor for Mac is definitely aimed at the less experienced user. It performs all of the basic editing functions well and is fairly easy to use for any Mac owner.

Installation of Photo Zoe Editor completed quickly. The program started for the first time without any problematic setup steps. No user instructions were present, but the interface was very easy to use for anyone familiar with other photo editing programs. Technical support did not appear to … Read more

Review: Simplify the browsing experience with Minimalist Browser for Mac

Some users may find modern Web browsers too complicated for basic Internet use. Minimalist Browser for Mac accomplishes its goal of presenting a less complicated browsing experience, but ultimately appears incomplete.

There were no unnecessary steps required to download and install Minimalist Browser for Mac. After installation, there did not appear to be any technical support for updates, but the first page in the browser was a rudimentary instruction page. The program, itself, is just a Web page window with no control or URL bar. Navigation is limited to a key combination that brings up a Google search and a … Read more

Apple fail should be a lesson for Microsoft

Apple is good at addressing design oversights. Will Microsoft be as adept?

The Retina iPad, for example, violated Apple's design creed: products should get thinner and lighter -- aka, cooler. Not thicker and heavier.

But Apple fixed this quickly (six month later) with the iPad Mini trifecta: thinner, lighter, cheaper. And the iPad, reinvented as the Mini, has been a runaway success.

Now that Microsoft is in the business of making tablets, can it act fast when it commits product-design sins?

Surface is not a success -- yet. The Surface Pro is too big and heavy (and expensive), according … Read more

Amazon Kindle Fire to go 10-inch

Amazon is expected to bring out a bigger version of the Kindle Fire, as it gradually grows the size of its tablets.

Amazon arguably started the small tablet fad when it launched the 7-inch Kindle Fire in November of 2011. And it followed that with 8.9-inch model, announced in September 2012.

Now it's moving up to the 10-inch class, Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, told CNET.

The biggest Kindle Fire yet will sport a stunning 2,560x1,600-pixel density 10.1-inch display, according to Shim. That's about 300 pixels per inch (PPI), considerably denser than … Read more

Review: Expand your desktop onto other mobile devices using iDisplay Desktop for Mac

Whether you want to increase your screen space, enable a secondary display, or just mirror your desktop to other mobile devices, this app can help you out. With the ability to support up to 36 devices connected to your computer, the iDisplay Desktop for Mac promises and delivers an extremely powerful desktop enhancement. However, the app is quite difficult to set up and requires a high level of computer literacy.

The installation of this application appeared to be easy. The app even comes with its own uninstaller so you can remove it effortlessly if you no longer need it. During … Read more

Review: Skip the trashbin using Delete without Trash for Mac

With a name that completely and accurately describes its sole function, Delete without Trash for Mac allows users to bypass the trashing step, but adds another that seems to defeat its time-saving purpose.

Delete without Trash for Mac downloads quickly. The installation folder also contains a readme file with instructions. The program, itself, is easy to use. There is no interface, but it makes changes to the computer so that the user has additional options when right clicking files. This includes a "Delete as Administrator" function, which directly removes the file after the entry of the administrator password. … Read more

Review: Track word count in single or multiple files with Word Counter for Mac

Those users tracking the size of large numbers of word processing files may find counting software included in office suites inadequate. Word Counter for Mac works well and has some useful features for working with hundreds of files, but average users will likely find it of little use.

Word Counter for Mac downloads and installs quickly. After startup, the program had no user instruction, although the menu labels explained the functions well enough. No technical support is available, although the program performed well overall with no bugs. The menu is small and easy to use, allowing the user to cut … Read more

BlackBerry's Q10 selling well in Canada, U.K.

BlackBerry's Q10, which features a QWERTY keyboard and operating system BlackBerry 10, has had a strong showing in the U.K. and Canada, according to one analyst.

According to Reuters, which obtained a note from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek, checks across the U.K. and Canada "indicate broad sellouts with generally limited stock otherwise."

"Based on our store checks, the BlackBerry Q10 has been selling extremely well and has been sold out or seeing limited availability in Toronto and across the U.K.," Misek said.

The BlackBerry Q10 launched earlier this week in the U.… Read more

BlackBerry 10 wins Pentagon's security approval

BlackBerry 10 devices have succeeded in passing the rigorous U.S. Department of Defense security requirements, according to Reuters. The agency approved on Thursday the company's entire line of devices running on its new operating system, which includes BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 smartphones, and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.

BlackBerry, Apple, and Samsung have all recently been in the running to get security approval for their newest devices to be used by the Department of Defense's some 3 million employees. BlackBerry is now the first to get approval. It's expected that both Apple and Samsung will also get authorizationRead more