multi

Virtual desktops are a great idea if you find yourself with too much happening on your computer screen. These programs come in a variety of versions, from those designed for hard-core geeks to those meant for casual users who don't need a lot of options. Moo0 MultiDesktop falls into the latter category. This simple program lets users add three virtual desktops to their machine with just enough features to make them functional.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive. It appears as an icon in the system tray, and right-clicking on it displays a menu. The program lets … Read more

We ask much of our kitchen gear, often pushing whatever we have past its limits. Forks get used as knives, blenders are put into action as food processors, toaster ovens suddenly become complete-meal makers; anything to avoid dirtying another pot, pan, or dish, right? As such, it has become commonplace to find appliances that have multiple functions built right in.

The Cuisinart Multi Cooker is a slow cooker, a steamer, a roaster, and a frying pan all rolled up into one. Especially convenient is the saut?ing function. Instead of breaking out a frying pan to brown meats before roasting … Read more

MixPad Audio Mixer from NCH Software is a digital multitrack mixing suite that is easy to use yet capable of producing professional-quality mixes. It can mix and process more than 100 tracks at once in most audio formats, and it can also extract audio from video files as well as rip CDs. It works as a standalone app but integrates seamlessly with NCH's other media production and editing tools via the Toolbox utility.

Media-player-like buttons and time indicators give MixPad's interface a familiar feel. The main window displays each track horizontally, each with its own control console. The … Read more

We got our hands on a prerelease version of Apple's latest big cat, Mac OS X Lion, and we're definitely excited about what we've seen so far. The new Mac OS isn't slated for release until this summer, but the early prerelease shows off many of the latest bells and whistles that Apple hopes will help you be more efficient on your Mac.

Several of the new features make navigating your system and software easier. The new Launchpad, accessed from an icon in the Dock, lays out your applications just as on an iOS device, making … Read more

We previewed iOS 4.3 back in January, and now the time has almost come: the latest version of Apple's iOS software will be available March 11.

What's new this time around? Well, not as much as iOS 4.2, but there are some notable upgrades--especially if you're an iPad owner.

Support for additional multifinger multitouch gestures and swipes adds four-finger fast-swapping between open apps and a one-handed way to flick the app dock up, instead of double-clicking the home button. In fact, you'll probably be using that lone physical button a whole lot less now. … Read more

Sick of your keyboard and mouse? Our touch points with technology are finally expanding beyond them. The Wii gave us motion-controlled games to one extent, and the Kinect took it to the next step: gamers are using their entire bodies for control. Apple, of course, has ushered in an era of multitouch and gesture-based user interfaces, and voice-operated technology is making great strides. What's next? We discuss with Ars Technica's Jon Stokes and Forrester's James McQuivey.

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Some of our discussion points… Read more

Apple has released to developers a beta of iOS 4.3, the newest operating system update for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. iOS 4.3 will include several feature upgrades including the addition of personal Wi-Fi hot spots, new multitouch gestures for iPad, and customizable messaging alerts.

Also included in the first beta of iOS 4.3 is the return of orientation locking by using the hardware switch on the side of your iPad. Users will be able to toggle the usage of that switch from its current function, muting, to the new orientation lock.

The App Store app has … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Not mentioned at today's CES keynote address from Microsoft was something new--a multitouch mouse that's been designed to bring special gesture features to Windows 7 users.

Readers with a good memory might take one look at what Microsoft is calling Touch Mouse, and recognize it as the "Cap Mouse" from October of 2009, which the company unveiled as one of five mousing prototypes. Since then the mouse has cut the cord, tapered out in front, been given a completely different finish (black and red instead of gray and dark gray), and a $79.95 price … Read more

For all the advancements laptops have made, the humble touch pad has been essentially running the same hardware and software for years.

When you get right down to it, laptops only consist of a few key parts as far as user interface is concerned. Keyboard, screen, speakers--and, of course, the touch pad. With multitouch tablets and smartphones changing the interface landscape drastically, it's quickly becoming a multitouch world, and computers are the devices playing catch-up. Synaptics, makers of most multitouch touch pads used today, have a next-generation clickpad in development that hopes to close the gap quickly. Called the … Read more