prediction

Simple astrological tool

MB Astrology Natal Chart provides a simple look at the planets, sun and moon on a person's day of birth. While the program looks fantastic and has a lot of details, its lack of information keeps newcomers from enjoying it.

We found the program's interface to be a mixed bag. While very basic and practically fool-proof to operate, the program and its Help file provided no information about Astrology or the meaning of the chart, which left us feeling lost. Upon entering our day and year of birth, along with the longitude and latitude of our birthplace (luckily … Read more

Football spread predictor

NFL Forecaster helps users predict weekly professional football games. While its depth is impressive, the amount of manual input may scare off some.

The program's interface is a cluttered and confusing mix of charts and statistics. We did ourselves a favor and consulted the Help file, specifically its alphabetized topics list, whenever a hurdle presented itself. The program excels at showing the current week's professional football match-ups and giving the spread (how many points the winner will win by). We were unable to know how accurately the program predicts scores since this was tested before the season, but … Read more

Top 5: Worst sci fi predictions

Science fiction loves to show us the future. But we've had enough science fiction around for a long enough time that we're starting to notice it's not very good at predictions. In this episode, we count down some of the worst predictions of sci fi. And we give you a chance to win a small pack of zombies from October toys. So watch, won't you? And then come back to answer the trivia question for a chance to win your own small army of zombies.

IBM to acquire analytics provider for $1.2 billion

IBM will buy analytics and information forecaster SPSS for $1.2 billion in cash, the companies said Tuesday.

IBM is paying $50 per share for the publicly traded company, which closed Monday on Nasdaq at $35.09. At 6:45 a.m. PDT, the stock had jumped to $49.16.

Chicago-based SPSS makes predictive-analytics software and solutions. Its products tap into vast amounts of customer information that companies can use to try to stay competitive.

Predictive-analytics software is used to gather opinions from customers, forecast future demand, and package the information into business analytics. By capturing and analyzing trends, the … Read more

Baby gender predictor

MB Chinese Pregnancy Calendar helps users get a better idea of what sex a child will be, based on a very simple premise. This is a fun option for anyone thinking about starting a family.

The program's interface could not be much simpler. First, you are directed to some pull-down menus to fill in dates. From there, the results screen is static and cannot be navigated through. This program works well by keeping its navigation as simple enough as its results. An online Help file is available, though completely unnecessary. The program functions very primitively, as you need only … Read more

Rashi Chart reader

MB Astrology Rashi Chart provides users with a quick glance at their North Indian Style astrological outlook. With some complicated hurdles for newcomers, this program is best left to those with experience or those willing to learn.

This program's interface is equally simple and confusing, thanks to its strange requirements. Users should have no trouble knowing where information needs to be placed, but will most likely have a hard time filling it in. Requiring some online digging, notably with inputting the longitude and latitude of your birth, this was a frustrating gap in design. The program provides a Help … Read more

Astrological reader

Despite requiring a great deal of information about one's birth, this program is a great tool for any user interested in East Indian style Rashi astrology. While users are expected to know about this style of reading, it provides a simple layout of information.

This program's interface is simple enough to maneuver through, but anyone not knowing the longitude and latitude of their birth will be ushered to an online site to find it, which we found to be a snag that interrupted the otherwise smooth flow of its design. In addition, there is a Help file that … Read more

Hindu astrological tool

MB Electional Astrology provides users with answers to some of life's most interesting events. From starting a new business to having a baby, this Vedic astrological software dishes out the details of your future.

This program immediately separates itself from other Vedic software we've tested by providing many more options for users. This program allows users to choose a topic that is important in their lives by clicking on a category. From there, the program mimics other astrology programs, asking the user to fill out blank spaces and pull-down menus. The results display on a page that requires … Read more

Vedic astrology helper

MB Astrology Rashi Chart (South Indian Style) offers to help users learn more about their star signs through Vedic astrology. While getting the information is not hard, users must be willing to translate the meaning for themselves.

The program's interface will not win any awards, but it does perform its function fairly well. While most information pertaining to one's sign is fairly easy to input, attaining the latitude and longitude of your birthplace requires users to click a link that takes them online, which some may not like. In addition, the Help file defined the various fields, but … Read more