movies

Download YouTube videos with automatic format conversion

MovieSherlock is a YouTube downloader for the Mac platform. When you see a YouTube video you want to save locally, you invoke MovieSherlock and it handles the download for you. MovieSherlock can convert formats, as well as provide search integration. The Lite version of MovieSherlock sells for $14.99, while two more-powerful editions sell for $24.99 and $39.99. There is no free evaluation version.

The MovieSherlock interface lets you type in the name of a video you would like to watch, and it will search YouTube for the content, download it, and launch it in a player. Converting … Read more

Lucas: Disney might have been Star Wars' only hope

In a video released today, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas explained that he decided to sell his media empire to The Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion because he believed it would "protect" Lucasfilm and its cash cow, the "Star Wars" franchise.

Sitting at a table alongside Lucasfilm co-chairman Kathleen Kennedy -- who will be Lucasfilm's president under Disney -- Lucas explained that in recent months, as he had mulled retirement and what he wanted to do with his life, he realized that the "perfect person to take over the company … Read more

KMPlayer adds video channels and apps

KMPlayer has changed a bit since we reviewed version 3.2 back in May. KMPlayer has always been popular and familiar software, so the latest version might be a bit of an eye-opener -- in good ways and bad. One of the new additions, "KMP Plus," acts as a dashboard for the program. On startup, users are greeted by an interactive home screen where they can watch promoted videos and advertisements, browse video channels, or access their own library content directly.

KMP Plus is attempting to become a premium service, but this 3.4 release highlights what seems … Read more

Create your movie masterpiece with ease

iMovie 11 is the latest incarnation of Apple's popular video authoring tool. With it, you can import video clips from external devices or from anywhere else, arrange them on a timeline, shuffle them around, and preview the results; when you're happy you can create a final video file suitable for burning to DVD or uploading to share with others.

iMovie 11 has a clean interface. You drag files (video, audio, image) to a project area, and from the file area you drag what you want onto the timeline in the bottom pane, arranging the files in the order … Read more

Can anyone in space hear you scream? Scientists try to find out

Some screams come from the gut.

Yes, just like that horrible monster thing in "Alien."

Now scientists with only extreme discovery in their locker of ambition have decided to learn, once and for all, whether a scream in outer space can awaken alien ears.

The Cambridge University Spaceflight team behind this experiment are truly committed explorers.

They have created a video featuring Albert Einstein -- or at least a posh-speaking version of him.

The idea is very simple. They want you to go to YouTube and record your best and most frightening, piercing scream. Indeed, the scientists want you to scream "in a creative way." … Read more

How to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for free

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 will not come with Windows Media Center as part of the operating system. It's now an add-on that can be purchased through the Add Features option in Windows 8. For a limited time, however, Microsoft is offering Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro customers for free. Here's how to get it:

Request your free product key from Microsoft's Web site. Hit the shortcut, Win+W, then type "add features." Select "Add features to Windows 8." Click on "I already have a product key," then enter … Read more

App tells when to go pee during movies and not miss much

It's best not to watch that freaky, edge-of-your-seat slasher flick with a full bladder. But pee happens -- and sometimes it's hard to anticipate nature's call before settling in at the multiplex. Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to miss a key scene (or screw it up for your aisle-mates) when you darted to the bathroom?

Fear not, cinephiles -- there's an app for that.

It's called RunPee, and fortunately it has nothing to do with marking your trail to find your way home from your morning jog.… Read more

Create and burn DVDs with Free Movie DVD Maker

Think Free Movie DVD Maker lets you compose and burn high-quality DVDs from your movie clips. It handles a wide range of video formats as well as DVD output types, including HD DVDs up 1080p in resolution. With drag-and-drop, clip editing, zoom mode, and menu options, it can produce high-quality DVDs compatible with any DVD player. Free Movie DVD Maker places a splash screen before segments; a premium version removes the ads and includes lifetime support and updates.

The thing we like best about Free Movie DVD Maker's user interface is the easy way you can toggle between Detail … Read more

Add Hollywood-style effects to your iOS videos

As all movie-makers know, if you want to put butts in the seats, you need splashy special effects.

Like, say, an explosive missile strike or an alien attack. And who doesn't love a massive car crash?

Bad Robot Interactive's Action Movie FX 2.0 lets you add Hollywood-style effects sequences to the movies you shoot on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

It works like this: Choose a sequence, then start filming. When you're done, the app lets you choose where in the clip to insert the effect. After a few seconds of rendering, presto: you've … Read more