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Take frying matters into your own hands

Everything tastes better deep fried. Or at least, everything tastes better when it is deep fried correctly. From fish to fries, anything that spends too much time in the oil ends up a greasy and soggy mess. It's unfortunate that so many meals that could be delicious end up swimming in a puddle of their own grease. If only there was a way to control the frying process...

Take fry matters into your own hands with the Waring Professional Deep Fryer. The professional-style fryer is operated through a digital LCD control panel. Just input the desired temperature and set … Read more

Panasonic Premiere plasmas are great, but not quite as good as Kuro

Despite the fact that Pioneer has exited the HDTV business, we still consider its Elite Kuro plasma TVs, such as the PRO-111FD, the best-performing televisions we've ever tested. Now Panasonic has released a new lineup of so-called Premiere plasmas that takes direct aim at the Kuros. While they deliver a superb picture, they still fall a bit short of the mark.

We reviewed the 65-inch member of the series, model TH-65VX100U ($9,995 list), and there's a 50-inch version coming in late February, model TH-50VX100U ($4,995 list). Aside from their high price tags, these displays must overcome the fact that Panasonic announced a slew of new plasmas at CES that use the company's next-generation NEO PDP panels, which consume less power and deliver even deeper black levels, according to the company. Before somebody asks, no, the Premiere series does not use the new panels.

Still, there's a lot to like about these expensive displays. Picture quality is excellent, with deep black levels and superb shadow detail, although color accuracy (along with black level) didn't match the Kuro. The Premiere plasmas have the same build quality we lauded on Panasonic's standard professional monitors, like the TH-50PF11UK. They also share some of the same "professional" characteristics, such as the necessity to purchase a separate stand and speakers if you need them, and relatively sparse input selection.

Read the full review of the Panasonic TH-VX100U Premiere series.

… Read more

A toaster that looks like a shiny new...toaster

So maybe you're planning on getting yourself the Bella Professional coffee maker and milk frother, and you're wondering what you'll eat while you're sipping your morning beverage. How about toast? Now, if Brian had his way, you'd be drawing on your food or marveling at the warming rack on a time-traveling machine. I've got a different suggestion.

Bella Professional has a 4-slice toaster with die-cast panels and stainless steel body.

The extra wide and deep slots are perfect for bagels. And don't worry; you've got a bun-warming rack. With the back-lit controls … Read more

Optimizing made easy

Developers are getting smarter by making their applications more appealing through improved interface design. But good looks don't necessarily mean good performance. But in the case of this toolbox, a professional-looking interface is nicely combined with ease of use and quick performance.

Memory Improve Professional launches a nicely designed interface that's easy to comprehend and simple to navigate. The dial-based gauge displays a quick-to-grasp visual of your system's memory use.

This app's tools performed nicely in our tests. We liked that the settings for configuring this utility's performance were on the launch window, so we … Read more

Worth the time to spend learning operation

Though it suffers slightly from some odd operation steps, this program gives experienced users a powerful tool to restrict file and folder access. SecuInHand's tabbed interface logically separates functions and features, but the cramped window can't be resized.

Using a series of passwords and access controls, SecuInHand Professional helps users lock down their systems. Setting and updating all the major functions requires an odd set of clicks and passwords over the interface and the tray icon. Most users will need to follow the help manual closely at first, but the process can be memorized after a few tries.… Read more

Simple configuration for a robust security app

Short of an USB drive you keep on your person, a password-protected and encrypted folder is the easiest way to protect sensitive files. SafeHouse Professional Edition is easy to install and use, and quickly delivers a protected folder.

Installation is the most time-consuming aspect of this app, and it is a short process. Users merely answer a few questions with simple pull-downs and check boxes. You can create the safe folder in any size to fill the hard-drive free space. There are six folder encryption methods including the popular AES 128 and 256 bit, but the publisher recommends Twofish 256-bit. … Read more

More than just a pretty appliance

Sometimes, you want a kitchen gadget that just looks good. You want people to walk into your kitchen and say, "Wow. Cool." And when that's what you're looking for, the Bella Professional line delivers.

It's not that these appliances don't work well--they do. They're made by Sensio and designed with the most advanced features in mind including the same die-cast metal used in professional appliances. But in addition to their quality, these pieces are, simply, all about the pretty.

Imagine the coffee maker on your counter. With its built-in blue backlight analog clock … Read more