software

Open Hexagon, an open copycat of Hexagon

Open Hexagon is a polygonal endurance run that draws heavy inspiration from Terry Cavanagh's Hexagon. Much like its former Web app game, Open Hexagon challenges players in a collapsing environment of walls that cave in. Your goal is to keep a dinky little triangle alive by orbiting around the core while dodging walls and crushing barriers. The game's overall design is a simple pixelated collection of lines and shapes, with some added chiptune tracks to appease the eardrums of our inner geek.

Since its release, the developer, Vittorio Romeo of Vee Software, has received mixed reactions for releasing … Read more

E-mail bill raises privacy concerns

Tuesday's CNET Update is checking privacy settings:

There's an update to today's top story. Hours after CNET reported on a bill rewrite that would give warrantless access to American's e-mail, the senator behind the legislation has abandoned his controversial proposal.

Get Norton AntiVirus 2013 3-user edition free after rebate

Arguably the only thing worse than a sick Cheapskate (which I am) is a sick PC. That's why it's important to run reliable antivirus software, as the last thing you want is an infection.

There are plenty of good free utilities that will get the job done, but to my thinking, why not get the commercial-grade stuff if you can?

For a limited time, Newegg has Norton AntiVirus 2013 3-user edition for free. That's after redeeming a $45 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form of prepaid debit card.

Also available: Norton 360 Premier 2013 3-user for $9.99 … Read more

Mac Mini users unable to install OS X 10.8.2

If you own one of Apple's latest 2012 Mac Mini systems and are attempting to update it to the latest version of OS X, you may find the update is not available via the App Store's Software Update service. Furthermore, if you download the manual updater for 10.8.2 and attempt to install it, you will see an error that states: "Error: OS X Update can't be installed on this disk. This volume does not meet the requirements for this update."

The reason for this error is the 2012 Mac Mini requires a special … Read more

Design guru Nielsen: Windows 8 UI 'smothers usability'

User interface design guru Jakob Nielsen is none too pleased with what he's found in Windows 8, which he calls a "misguided" product.

Nielsen, who has spent much of his career analyzing all kinds of user interfaces, including most notably Flash software for Web animation, says that the new Windows 8 user interface "smothers usability with big colorful tiles while hiding needed features."

To arrive at that conclusion, Nielsen brought in 12 "experienced PC users" to try out Windows on both PCs and Surface RT tablets. In that study, Nielsen found that the … Read more

Don't get Apple's Passbook? iOS 6.1 will explain it to you

iPhone users scratching their heads over how to use Apple's Passbook app will get a little more help as part of an upcoming software update.

iOS 6.1 adds an updated explanatory note to the digital-wallet app, which comes pre-installed on new iPhones and iPod Touch devices. Apple delivered a second beta testing version of the OS version to developers this morning.

Instead of kicking users out to the App Store to go find applications that offer Passbook integration, Apple now puts information about the feature inside a card that sticks around even after you've started using the … Read more

Get a $90 Mac app bundle for free

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right? Actually, my favorite Chinese place gave me a punch card good for a free trip to the buffet after 10 punches, so there literally is such a thing as free lunch. (I know, you have to buy 10 not-free lunches first. Let's not ruin my analogy with semantics, shall we?)

There's also such a thing as free software -- if you know where to look. For a limited time, a site called AppyFridays is offering a free Mac software bundle. Combined value of the six included apps: $90.… Read more

Microsoft's new translation tech speaks Chinese -- in your own voice

Microsoft has a new translation technology that increases accuracy with help from your voice.

Discussed yesterday in a blog post by Microsoft chief research officer Rick Rashid, the company's translation technology is capable of taking a user's spoken English word and then translating that into Mandarin Chinese. The kicker is that the Chinese translation is pumped through speakers in the user's own voice.

Microsoft's technology is based on a new translation technique called Deep Neural Networks (DNN). Rather than use the "hidden Markov modeling" technique, which is widely used and bases translation on training … Read more

JogoBox: Gaming museum for the old and abandoned or sweet treasure trove arcade?

Whether you're a long-time PC gamer or new to the club, (in which case, welcome!) you should check out JogoBox, a game client/downloader similar to the likes of Steam and Desura. What makes JogoBox stands out is that its entire collection is totally free. "Choose from a selection of thousands of free games and play for as long as you like!" -- boasts JogoBox.com.

The JogoBox team essentially went out into the Internet and collected as many abandonware and browser games as they could find and stuck it all in once place -- a simple … Read more

Schedule alarms, open Web sites automatically, and more with SNV Timer

The publishers describe SNV Timer as a reminder program, but it actually includes three separate applications designed to manage shutdown operations, user-set alerts, and more. While many will see this diversity as a benefit, others will find that the lack of integration between programs and the redundancy of some functions negatively affect SNV Timer's usefulness.

When you install SNV Timer, you'll actually get SNV Timer, SNV Notepad, and SNV Calendar, each with its own desktop icon. SNV Timer does just what its name implies: it allows you to choose a specific time or number of hours for whatever … Read more