1.4

Portable puzzle

Jooleem Portable is a basic puzzle game that's designed to travel with you on a portable device, although it works fine on a PC as well. It's not the most thrilling game we've ever played, but it is surprisingly addictive.

Getting started with Jooleem Portable isn't necessarily easy. Users must manually specify where they want the program installed, which makes sense given that it's designed for portable use, but this step might flummox novice computer users. There's no desktop icon or Start menu entry, which means that you'd better remember where you installed … Read more

Sweep it up

Virtually everyone who's ever used a computer has played Minesweeper, the classic Windows game in which users must strategically locate and mark mines hidden on the board. Mines-Perfect Portable is nearly identical to the original Windows game, but it's made to be portable and has a few cool extra features.

Mines-Perfect Portable is indeed meant to be installed on mobile devices, and the installation process reflects this; users have to specify the installation location, and there are no desktop icons or Start menu items. The game's interface looks almost exactly like that of the Windows version, and … Read more

Denon S-5DB: When a home-theater-in-a-box isn't good enough

People buy home theater-in-a-box systems for a lot of reasons, but sound quality isn't one of them.

The problem with HTIBs, even the very best ones, is they don't come with great speakers or subwoofers. Denon has a solution at hand: the S-5DB. Think of it as a HTIB that doesn't come with speakers or a subwoofer. No HTIB ever made has speakers as good as the better ones I've reviewed from Aperion Audio, Atlantic Technology, Definitive Technology, Energy Speakers, Klipsch, Mirage, or Polk. You want great sound? You gotta have great speakers.

The S-5BD combo … Read more

Basic browser translator

Google Translation Bar is a handy add-on for the Chrome Web browser that lets users translate Web pages between a variety of languages. It doesn't have as many features as other translators we've seen, but it's still a quick and easy way to get translations of fairly high quality.

The add-on integrates well with Chrome, appearing as a small icon within the address bar. When the icon is clicked, a banner appears across the top of the Web page offering translation options. Translating couldn't be easier; users simply select the desired output language--there are 53 to … Read more

Keep tabs on your tabs

We love tabbed browsing, but we often find ourselves with tons of tabs open. Sometimes they're simply things we forgot to close when we were done with them, but other times they contain pages that we want to return to. TooManyTabs for Chrome is a clever browser extension that helps you hang on to the tabs you're not done with without all the clutter.

TooManyTabs isn't the most intuitive application we've ever used, but after a bit of experimentation, it was pretty easy to figure out. It appears as an icon to the right of Chrome'… Read more

Find food from your phone

When you're on the lookout for businesses while you're also on the go, Yelp's version for Android phone comes in handy. It contains the usual GPS search for restaurants and businesses that you either search for or can filter based on your location. Results records include ratings, reviews, and photos you can view from the phone. You can click or press a button to call the business. There's another button to map the location to a movable Google map, and this version thankfully includes our favorite new feature: a link to pop open directions in a … Read more

Palm releases WebOS 1.4, adds video capture, Flash 10.1 plug-in

Updated February 28, 2010, at 8:30 p.m.: WebOS 1.4 is now available for Verizon customers. Updated February 27, 2010, at 1 a.m.: Updated article to include WebOS's new plug-in support for Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta.

Palm's release of its WebOS 1.4 on Friday adds video capture, editing, and sharing to the company's Pre and Pixi smartphones.

Along with video recording, the updated operating system lets users trim videos and upload them directly to YouTube, Facebook, or share them via an e-mail or an MMS message. It also adds support for Adobe'… Read more

Sony announces 3D-compatible AV receiver,
new budget models

In our 3D TV FAQ, we mention that we expect new 3D-capable AV receivers to be released in 2010. Sony is the first manufacturer out of the gate, introducing new AV receivers, including the STR-DN1010 that is capable of passing 3D video signals. Their full spec sheets aren't available yet, but here's what we know so far:

Key features of the Sony STR-DH510:

5.1 channel AV receiver, 100 watts per channel 3 HDMI inputs HDMI standby pass-through HDMI audio return channel capable 2 component video inputs $230 list price; available in March

Key step-up features of the Sony STR-DH710:

7.1 channel AV receiver, 105 watts per channel… Read more

HDMI 1.4 3D specification available for download

HDMI Licensing announced Wednesday that it has made the 3D portion of the HDMI specification version 1.4 available for public download on the HDMI Web site.

This means companies and organizations that have not executed the HDMI Adopter Agreement can now have access to the 3D portion of version 1.4 of the HDMI Specification. Prior to this, only parties that have signed the HDMI Adopter Agreement have had access to the information.

However, the document available for download is extracted from version 1.4 of the HDMI specification. However, HDMI version 1.4a will be released shortly with … Read more

Easy-to-use downloader

Meep Media Downloader 1.4 is an incredibly useful program that allows users to download both audio and video from streaming video sites like YouTube. Compatible with Firefox and Internet Explorer, this easy-to-use toolbar is a great way to quickly save online content.

The program's interface is quite intuitive, although it consumes a bit more space than it really needs to. Downloading content is as easy as clicking on Save MP3 or Save Video. The program quickly saves the desired files in the location specified by you, with video files saved in the AVI format. Both audio and videos … Read more