collecting

Collection managers are databases optimized for collectors. Tian's GCstar is a free tool that can not only help you manage your collections but also keep track of items you've loaned to friends and neighbors and even update your records automatically by fetching additional information online. It's an open-source project, but it's not some half-app work-in-progress.

GCstar opened with its main interface and a New Collection dialog showing numerous default selections. GCstar can manage any collection, which is to say a collection of anything, from digital snapshots on your hard drive to vintage cars in your garage. … Read more

Artwork Wallpaper Collection is not a piece of software, but a collection of images meant to be used as wallpaper on computers or cell phones. We have seen such collections before, and sometimes they're worth having. Who doesn't like the idea of having a set of high-quality, attractive images handy when the desktop needs redecorating? Unfortunately, Artwork Wallpaper Collection doesn't really deliver; we could have easily found better images using Google Image Search.

There are 26 individual images, and each comes in a variety of different sizes and formats for different uses. Almost all of the images … Read more

ManicTime from Finkit d.o.o. is a free time-tracking application that records how and when you use your computer and generates useful statistics and reports from the data. It works in the background and can track everything from billable hours to time spent in online social networks. It uses personalized "time tags" to accurately display how you use your time, including how efficient you really are, as opposed to how much you think you're getting done. It stores your information on a local database instead of an online or networked resource, which bolsters security.

ManicTime's … Read more

WinCatalog Light is a free disk cataloging tool that scans and catalogs your system's disks or files. You can use the listings it creates to quickly find specific files in your disk collection without having to insert a bunch of removable disks and search them one by one. It also extracts file descriptions and automatically fetches MP3 song names online. It can scan any storage device that Windows can access.

WinCatalog Light's interface is a slightly smaller version of the familiar Windows app style: File menu, icon-based toolbar, left-hand navigation panel, and main window. With a pretty good … Read more

Free Font Renamer is freeware that renames font files, just like the name says, only automatically. Why would you want or need to do that? Because what it does is rename the font file with the full name of the font, so instead of MLON_I.TTF, you get Milion Italic.ttf. The name tells you which font it is right off the bat. If you've ever tried to find a certain font file outside of the system's font properties and controls, you will appreciate immediately how this tool can help. It's optimized for Vista and Windows XP; … Read more

Last week's Tokyo Game Show brought with it plenty of new-game announcements, but also a reminder that Sony is very much interested in selling backward compatibility to PS3 owners who don't have the means to play PS2 games. If you purchased a PS3 with an internal hard drive larger than 80GB (including all PS3 Slims), odds are your system is one of these unfortunate pieces of hardware.

We already saw last year's God of War Collection prepare gamers for God of War III and Sony has just revealed that the highly anticipated holiday 2011 release, The Last … Read more

We may refer to the proliferation of glossy black and silver matte cell phones as "sleek" or "professional." But let's face it: most phones on the market are a neutral-toned, rounded-corner flood of design sameness.

Since fitting in isn't for everyone, we rounded up 10 cell phones and smartphones that stand out from the crowd.

From the super-rugged to the superfeminine, these distinctive designs and shocks of color are sure to catch your eye.

Denon will commemorate 100 years of audio innovation with its Anniversary Product Collection offerings.

One might wonder what an electronics company built in 1910, but I never really got a definitive answer at the media event held at the D&M Holdings (Denon's parent company) headquarters in Mahwah, N.J., last Thursday. True, there was some mention of the introduction of Japan's first phonograph (turntable) in 1910, but no one gave any specific information. According to Denon, it was honored to produce the very first audio recording of Japan's Emperor Hirohito's voice at the close of World War II in 1945.

Actually, the biggest surprise of the event, at least for me, was learning that Denon was founded by an American entrepreneur Frederick Whitney Horn. With Denon, he started Japan's first audio company; apparently, globalization isn't a new idea.

Denon focused most of its media event on presenting its Anniversary Product Collection's offerings, which include new amplifiers, SACD/CD and Blu-ray players, a direct-drive turntable, phono cartridge, and headphones. All of the products, except the phono cartridge and headphone, share the same $2,499 MSRP; the phono cartridge and headphone are $499 each. The Anniversary Product Collection models are limited editions and will be sold at 40 specially selected dealers in the United States starting in November. They will all be sold with five-year warranties. … Read more

As nostalgic as the image of the classic green Solitaire may be, 123 Free Solitaire 2009 7.1 offers the same fun plus more games and sleeker looks.

Following the quick installation, the program will ask you to choose which Solitaire game you would like to play. The list is comprised of 12 games: Diplomat, Eighteens, Flower Garden, Free Cell, Grandfather's Clock, Klondike, Pyramid, Royal Rendezvous, Spider, Spider One Suit, Spider Two Suit, and Yukon. Clicking on each will create a preview of the respective game. This preview includes an image, number of decks, game time, difficulty level, skill … Read more