software

Valve Software's 2007 video game Portal was an instant classic that immediately won fans over with its unique, physics-based challenges, innovative portal gun, and sharp comedy. But beyond the dark humor and diabolical puzzles was a hidden gem for players able to make it to the end: a witty and humorous song called "Still Alive."

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton was the man behind the infectiously catchy Easter egg song. But in an interview with CBS News, JoCo -- as he's known to fans -- showed why he's more than a one-hit wonder. … Read more

There are any number of utilities out there that can quickly and easily convert a variety of file formats into PDFs, so there's no reason to settle for one that doesn't quite meet your needs. DeskPDF Pro combines an efficient drag-and-drop interface with some useful features, but the limitations of the trial version are significant, and there are free programs with many of the same features.

Once installed, DeskPDF Pro appears as an icon in the Windows system tray; clicking it brings up a small interface onto which users can drag files for conversion. This launches a window … Read more

Windows 8 is finally here, and if you've ever started with a brand-new operating system, you know that one of the first things you do is download the apps that make your life easier and maybe even a little more fun while you're at it.

The Windows Store is pretty new and is not stocked with everything you might want just yet (frankly, it's pretty anemic at this early stage), but we've hand-picked a collection of apps that will be useful for new users of Microsoft's latest OS. All are highly rated and come from … Read more

The the slow pendulum swing toward the smart TV is about to hit WebOS.

LG has teamed up with Gram, the organization established by HP to handle the WebOS project, to create a television that will be running on the open-source operating system, according to a new report from WebOS Nation. That blog reports that LG and Gram have been working closely for several months on the project.

The road to Gram has been a long and hard one for HP. In 2010, the company made the ill-advised decision to acquire Palm for $1.2 billion. After a few product … Read more

A U.K. design firm put Windows 8 under the microscope recently, and users reported some issues with handling the operating system.

The firm in question, Foolproof, had 14 "typical users" try out Windows 8 for the first time to see how they fared using the new-look operating system. This tiny group reportedly consisted of regular Windows users, so they supposedly weren't coming to the Microsoft universe cold.

But Microsoft's new user interface, which largely consists of a series of tiles, ditching the traditional look and feel of Windows, "comes with a huge learning overhead." Foolproof's relatively small number of testers made several observations, including:… Read more

Uninstalling bloated programs and process-hogging applications is one of the most critical ways to keep your system's performance snappy. Unfortunately, the built-in Windows uninstaller is limited when it comes to removing leftover files and residue.

Wise Program Uninstaller takes it up a notch as an alternative solution. When you first fire up the program, you're greeted with some basic options and metrics. The bottom status bar lets you know how many running programs are installed and how much space is occupied. There are two main uninstall approaches: safe and forced.

Safe uninstall guides you through the default uninstallation … Read more

Mac software tends to be on the pricey side (not unlike Macs themselves), and freebies are few and far between. That's why I'm seriously jazzed about this deal.

Ending in just two days, the MacHeist 4 Bundle gives you 17 Mac programs for $29. Combined value if purchased separately: $609. (It's true: I did the math.)

I'm not a Mac user myself, but I know good software when I see it. For starters, MacHeist 4 comes with popular writing tool Scrivener, even more popular drive optimizer DiskTools Pro, and even more popular still information-capture tool Evernote (specifically, 15 months of Evernote Premium).… Read more

Just days before its app launches with Windows 8, Skype announced today that it has updated its current desktop program for Windows and Mac.

Dubbed Skype 6.0, the voice over Internet protocol application now includes support for signing into the service with a Microsoft or Facebook account, effectively eliminating the requirement for new users to create a Skype account. In addition, users will be able to instant message with contacts from Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail, and Outlook.com.

Skype's update illustrates its increasing integration with Microsoft products. Microsoft acquired Skype last year for $8.5 billion, saying that … Read more

Ashampoo Snap lets users take screenshots of Web pages, specific selections, or even entire desktops using its simple capture bar. Once captures are created, you can make changes such as adding elements, resizing, or rotating through an image editor. Snap 6 also allows for video and audio recording (via microphone), making production of video screencasts a cinch. Time-lapse video and interval snapshot features are other useful tools in creating video tutorials.

The latest edition of Ashampoo Snap, version 6, has added a multitude of features that have flesh out the screenshot program, but there are still some unaddressed issues from … Read more