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A rather basic tool, SeekFast lets you quickly find keywords or phrases in a file. It can save you hours of combing through files looking for a quote, a passage, or a piece of code. It's probably worth the $14 charge if you have lots of files you need to search at once, but most users will do just fine with the free trial, as well.

This program's 100-file limit in the free version was rarely restrictive during testing, which is really nice. It has a layout that is almost entirely focused on giving you previews of the … Read more

Tablacus Explorer offers a stylish, useful way to look at your files and doesn't have many drawbacks. It simply adds new features to the layout you're used to in order to make finding your files as easy and convenient as possible. You'll wish it was the default in Windows so you could use it all of the time.

This download borrows heavily from the default file explorer in Windows, but makes some much-needed changes. The most obvious of which are tabs, so you don't need to have a dozen explorer windows open at once. Thanks to … Read more

Software that promises to speed up your download is almost invariably limited by something it can't effect, namely your Internet connection, and that's the case with Download Accelerator Manager, aka DAM. But DAM does serve as a free, browser-integrated download manager. DAM lets you schedule, pause, and resume multiple downloads, which can be a big help to users who have limited bandwidth or access time, especially when downloading large files such as movies. For instance, you can schedule DAM to download files at night, when local traffic is lighter (or rates lower). To that end, DAM offers features … Read more

Mappr provides a useful, but at times redundant service to tag your photos with location markers before they are uploaded to Instagram. While the core OS on any iPad or iPhone will do the same, the location settings on Instagram are not integrated with a map, so Mappr allows you to see where all of your photos were taken in real-time visualization. It's effective, but ultimately limited in features.

When you open the app, you can choose to take a new photo or add one from your photo library. It is then automatically posted on the map if location … Read more

The purpose of iFileExpress is to make transferring files between your iOS devices and Mac or PC easier. However, by requiring tethered file transfers through iTunes or the iFileExpress desktop client, the service lags behind some other wireless options. It is more secure, but the setup and execution of the software will make it a second or even third choice for many iOS users.

The app opens with a full tutorial for how to use it. For the most part, you will need to have already installed iFileExpress on your PC or Mac, or you can set it up in … Read more

Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor and encoder that can handle a wide range of media formats. It has many user-friendly features; for example, it doesn't notify you of its frequent (almost daily) updates: You simply download an updated version of the program when you want to. It's compatible with JACK Audio and Melted Server technology, and it even offers an experimental GPU Processing feature. Shotcut can test MLT XML files, too. Several language options are available, and users can create and share new translations. The project's Web site also offers a forum, FAQs, and other … Read more

Digital Camera & Flash Light provides two very basic functions that every iPhone user will appreciate, but in very bare-bones packages that do little to enhance existing tools or apps. The digital camera component is barely an upgrade over the built-in camera and with unnecessary extra menus to boot, while the flashlight is the same as many other free tools in the same field but with no color options.

Your first choice when opening the app is to open either the digital camera portion or the flashlight. In both cases, options are minimal but required before you can use the … Read more

devCalc is one of the finest made calculator apps on the App Store, designed specifically for app developers to perform quick functions or swipe between different modes. While the free version lacks some of the more robust and impressive features of the paid upgrade, the app still manages to impress with its clean layout and numerous options in standard calculator mode.

The calculator, itself, expands on much of what the iPhone's base calculator does, with numerous additional functions and memory options. Combined with conversion tools for hexes, base eights, and binary and decimal numbers, the calculator works seamlessly for … Read more

Not everyone wants to buy an Apple laptop, but serious Windows 8 competitors to the MacBook Air have been few and far between. When Windows 8 systems started rolling out last year, it seemed like PC manufacturers spent all their efforts trying to make some sort of hybrid or convertible laptop. For their regular clamshell notebooks, the most they did was install Windows 8 and put in a touch screen.

But, based on the new Sony Vaio Pro 13 (and its smaller linemate the Pro 11), it looks like the wait for some interesting ultrabooks might be over thanks to … Read more