draw

Recently, AT&T announced an eco-friendly cell phone charger called the AT&T Zero Charger.

The allure of this device is it automatically shuts down when not in use, offering what AT&T claims is "zero vampire draw" from the wall outlet. Vampire draw is a term for the power that devices draw out of outlets they are plugged into while they are turned off. AT&T's charger will be USB-compatible, making it practical for many of the phones on the market today.

Sure, a zero-draw charger sounds helpful. With that said, we … Read more

Slide-a-ma-jig gives the iPhone treatment to a popular children's board-book format, with a touch-screen app that lets children create a huge variety of comical characters by mixing and matching different heads, torsos, feet, and so on.

It's not really a game in the sense that there are no rules or points to score--but that's perfect for the intended audience of young children. The interface is easy to master, accompanied by satisfying sound effects: you start with a silly character (30-odd in all, anything from a hulked-out bodybuilder to a self-repairing robot to a badger-loving fairy), and you … Read more

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite is an impressive collection of powerful design software that can tackle all sorts of design jobs. Included in the package are: CorelDRAW, the main application for vector design and layout; Corel PHOTO-PAINT, for editing and retouching photos, Corel CAPTURE, for screengrabs; ConceptShare, a collaboration service; and the Bitstream Font Navigator. There are also a bevy of smaller utilities such as a bar-code wizard and an app for helping users optimize two-sided printouts.

With a suite that includes that many programs and features, it's essential to have solid in-program help, and CorelDRAW is loaded with dynamic hints, … Read more

What is there to say about Lotto007 Prediction Expert? If it really worked, do you think you'd be able to buy it on Download.com for $79? We think not. That said, we suppose that some programs of this sort are better than others, and this one does purport to actually analyze patterns in previous winning numbers in order to predict future winning combinations. We don't honestly think this program will improve your chances of winning the lottery, but it might be marginally better than some other programs.

The program's interface is plain and fairly intuitive. Users … Read more

Dynamic Draw provides a great set of free tools for creating flow charts and other designs. Although its layout can be confusing, the end product makes it worth a little trouble.

The program's interface takes a while to get comfortable with, and it took us several minutes of studying and experimenting to get going, though everything felt natural after that. We were able to understand and make use of its scattered collection of commands and tools quickly enough, thanks to a great tutorial and onscreen pop-up instructions. Once initiated in Dynamic Draw's idiosyncrasies, you'll be creating interconnected … Read more

A-PDF Image to PDF will convert image files to PDFs. It converts single images or several image files into a single PDF. You can also convert color images to black and white and rotate files with this program.

The interface's design is clean and efficient. There's a Help file if needed, but the program is easy to use: simply click the "Add Image" button and navigate to the files that you want to convert into a PDF. If you select more than one image, thumbnails of each selected image appear in the navigation window. Once you'… Read more

We like the idea behind Magic Whiteboard; networked users can draw collaboratively on the same image from different computers. Unfortunately, the program's execution leaves a lot to be desired.

The program's interface is cute, with the drawing area framed by a border featuring cartoon animals and gnomes. The actual drawing features are lacking, and will be disappointing to kids who are already familiar with programs like Microsoft Paint. There's a pencil feature whose width can be adjusted on a scale from 1 to 18, and an eraser, but that's it. The really awful thing about this … Read more

OrgChart Professional is a feature-packed program that allows users to create impressive organizational charts. Because of the number of features it contains, it's not the most intuitive program we've used, but a bit of time spent with the Help file will allow users to master the program's many functions.

The interface is a bit cluttered and can be overwhelming at first, with lots of menus and buttons everywhere. Although it's possible to create an organizational chart just by fooling around with the program, beginners should really start with the Help file, a 282-page PDF that contains … Read more

Enter the high-stakes world of poker with 3C's Texas Holdem Poker. With a simple layout and challenging options, this is a great tool for learning and perfecting your poker game.

This program impressed us with its flexibility, offering great options for experts and casual poker players alike. The interface resembles a poker table, with a comfortable and familiar layout. All commands were simple to control. We were able to easily select our bets, call, hold, and fold our hands during a game. The program's built-in opponents were intelligent but not impossible to compete with. There was nothing spectacular … Read more