mac

Review: Access and control your Mac remotely with Splashtop Streamer

Splashtop Streamer for Mac allows users to remotely access their Mac's controls via their mobile device. The computer application works well, but the link from the smartphone application needs refining for a more useful experience.

The computer application is available as freeware for individual use at home or office, but most accompanying applications for smartphones and tablets cost money to operate. To use this application from anywhere in the world or over a 3G or 4G network you will need to purchase a monthly or yearly subscription. For testing purposes, together with the Splashtop Streamer for Mac, we used … Read more

Review: SimpleImage lets you view images and videos in slideshows

With a rather basic but intuitive interface, SimpleImage for Mac offers more control and customization options for viewing images, videos, and slideshows. In addition to being a viewer, the program offers some useful image editing options, as well.

At around 26MB the download takes a couple of minutes to complete. The program installs in just a few seconds, though, with a drag and drop in Mac's Applications folder. Upon startup the only window visible is the Inspector window, which displays relevant information regarding the file currently opened. Apart from being a typical image and movie viewer, SimpleImage for Mac … Read more

Review: Able2Extract for Mac converts PDFs to almost any format

Able2Extract for Mac allows conversion from PDFs to a number of office document formats, something even the newer versions of office software suites don't support. The program offers an intuitive interface and supports conversion to all the major file types such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Open Office, HTML, AutoCAD, and to most popular image formats. The program's conversion features are useful, despite occasional failures to load files which occurred during testing.

After a clean installation using the program's well-designed native installer, the program initiated a menu describing the trial version's limitations and displaying a link to … Read more

Review: Easily locate, play back, and organize multiple files with iVideo for Mac

iVideo for Mac helps you easily locate, organize, and play back all of your video files. The application supports all known video formats and offers plenty of options for customizing video files and the way you search for them.

Since it's around 30MB in size, iVideo for Mac takes a couple of minutes to download. After a quick installation, the app opens to a basic but neat video organizer. The interface is customizable and you can show or hide a sidebar and information bar to your right. In the upper-right corner there is a search option, which helps you … Read more

Review: Jaksta Media Recorder for Mac downloads online video and audio files

Jaksta Media Recorder for Mac offers a one-stop shop for recording and downloading media files from your favorite Web sites to your Mac. The program pairs easy-to-use controls with functionality. The trial version only successfully downloads YouTube videos, but it does so with speed and no hiccups.

Jaksta Media Recorder for Mac doesn't require any setup and the program is ready to run from the start. Upon startup the user is prompted to enter the registration code, purchase the full version, or continue in demo mode. The layout is very straightforward, but has a quality feel to it. Few … Read more

Review: Jaksta Music Miner for Mac captures songs from streaming audio sites

Jaksta Music Miner for Mac caters to frequent users of YouTube or other sites with streaming audio who may want to listen to their favorite songs away from the Internet. The application performs well and successfully saves copies of media files streamed online to your hard drive.

Upon installation Jaksta Music Miner for Mac's basic tutorial walks the user through the initial setup. To keep it working in the background the user needs to turn the program "on" by pressing a small button in the program's status bar. When an audio track or a video comes … Read more

The current enigma of the Retina MacBook Pro

It's hard to imagine, but Apple's MacBook lineup has been turned on its head. As of right now, the highest-priced MacBooks are a technological generation behind the least expensive MacBooks, making for shopping confusion if you're about to invest in a new system from Apple.

The cause of the confusion is this. At WWDC 2013, Apple introduced laptops updated to the latest generation of Intel Core i-series processors. These fourth-gen chips are also known by the code name Haswell, and they promise improved performance, better integrated graphics, and greatly boosted battery life. These CPUs were launched earlier … Read more

Review: Display song and album information with ScreenSleeves

ScreenSleeves for Mac allows the cover art and other song information to be displayed as the screensaver while a song plays, a useful feature for those who have long playlists during parties or other events. The program easily detects which song is playing and displays the cover art in good quality and with some additional options.

ScreenSleeves for Mac downloads and installs directly into the typical screensaver area, meaning users simply have to navigate to the system preferences menu to activate it. Once selected, the application automatically reads the song that is currently playing on iTunes or Spotify. When the … Read more

Review: Easily record, save, and replay sound with RecordPad Sound Recorder

Fully utilized for voice recording, RecordPad Sound Recorder for Mac enables users to successfully record audio notes, interviews, announcements, or lectures. The application is available as free to try for 14 days with no apparent limitations.

During the installation of RecordPad Sound Recorder for Mac you will be prompted to download optional programs and an Internet browser toolbar, which you can easily opt out of. You should also uncheck the options to allow the program to change your default search engine and start page unless you would like it to. Once the program opens, you will be greeted with a … Read more

Review: Pick and listen to music without navigating the Web with Rdio

Rdio for Mac offers easy access to the online music subscription service of the same name and all of its features right from your Mac's dock. The application integrates easily, works seamlessly, and makes using Rdio more convenient.

After downloading, the free application requires an existing or new Rdio account to use. For new users, clicking a well-labeled link makes signing up easy with a confirmation e-mail. The user can then sign in to the application. The main menu is basic, with a search field on the left and playing controls on the bottom. The playing controls operate as … Read more