convert

Are your MP3s LAME? Don't Bonk us if we say we hope so. FAAC is, we're happy to take the FLAC. Weak puns, maybe, but great tunes; if you encode your digital music files in a high-fidelity format such as FLAC. It's simple: the best way to get the best sound from your portable tunes is to start out with higher quality files, ideally using a low-loss or lossless format. Hanso Converter offers high-quality ripping and converting into FLAC, FAAC, AAC, Bonk, MP4/M4A, Ogg Vorbis, each of which yields better sound quality than the basic MP3 … Read more

Regular readers of this blog know we're living in the golden age of desktop audio. The speakers just keep getting better and better, and digital converters from the likes of Schiit Audio, AudioQuest, Hifiman, FiiO, and HRT have all made computers sound better than ever.

Now along comes the Meridian Explorer, a sleek, extruded aluminum converter with line- and headphone-level 3.5mm output jacks and a USB input. The line-level output internally bypasses the headphone amp and volume control. Meridian is best known for its ultra-high-end digital converters that sell for thousands of dollars -- the Explorer is their … Read more

The first benchmarks of Intel's upcoming "Haswell" Fourth-Generation Core processors have leaked. But asking how fast future Windows 8 PCs will be is probably the wrong question.

The Haswell chip that Tom's Hardware got a hold of and tested showed only modest central processing unit, or CPU, performance improvements over the latest hardware.

This would seem to indicate the future of Windows PCs -- which in this case means newfangled devices like Microsoft Surface and HP's Envy x2 -- isn't about the desktop anymore.

"The mobile space is where Intel's efforts should … Read more

People often want to work with locked PDF files, but the file format prevents editing. For those people, iPubsoft PDF to GIF Converter for Mac effectively changes those files to a format that can be modified.

iPubsoft PDF to GIF Converter is available as a free trial version with a 15-time usage limit; the full version requires a payment of $39.95. In addition, the trial version only allows part of the conversion to complete. The program downloaded quickly and the native installer placed it directly in the applications folder. Startup required acceptance of a user agreement. The interface design … Read more

PDF files are great for cross-platform communication because they preserve a document's layout; therefore, an all-in-one pdf converter will always have its place in the list of daily applications we use. With a neat and user-friendly interface, PDFLoft PDF Converter for Mac helps you convert PDF files to other file formats as well as convert scanned PDFs to a file format you need.

With an easy installation process, all you have to do is download the .dmg file, open it, and then drag and drop the app into your applications folder. PDFLoft PDF Converter for Mac features a clean … Read more

When working with video files, experienced users often find switching between the multiple available formats difficult. MovieConverter Studio for Mac solves this problem through its conversion abilities, but with a moderate price tag.

Available as a free trial version, which limits the video output to three minutes, the program requires a $20 purchase to unlock the full version. After downloading, installation begins, but MovieConverter Studio for Mac needs an additional download of supplemental packages for certain format conversions. The menu for this download states these could not be packaged in the original file due to legal reasons, which is troublesome … Read more

Converting multiple pictures in a batch can be messy and can take more time than it should. Image Converter Pro for Mac allows you to convert sets of photos from one type to another, optionally setting the quality for some formats. It is a small application designed to allow quick batch conversion, but it doesn't feel like a mature and fully capable app.

With Image Converter Pro you can simply drag and drop your pictures into the main window and they are ready to be processed. Doing so on the dock icon will directly convert them using your last … Read more

Developing and promoting PDF (Portable Document Format) files for over 20 years, Adobe Acrobat has constantly been feeling the pressure of raising the bar for its signature document-management software. Even after 11 versions, Adobe Acrobat XI shows that Adobe continues to advance the process for creating and managing PDF files.

For users who don't often handle or view PDF files, or fail to see the difference between PDF editors, creators, and word processors, here's the breakdown: Adobe Acrobat focuses on giving users control over formatting document features and design, whereas word processors focus primarily on the writing process … Read more

Bitbuster's EasyPhotoImager can resize, convert, and add watermarks to images, singly or in batches, and create thumbnails. While it offers no Help file, it's relatively easy to use, with all its settings on the front page. If you've used image-editing tools before, we doubt you'll have any trouble figuring it out. But true beginners may want to look for something simpler or with more support. EasyPhotoImager is compatible with Windows XP to 8. Recent updates include drag-and-drop capability, real-time preview, improved image resizing, and Windows Explorer-style folder navigation.

EasyPhotoImager's user interface opens on the Settings … Read more