2.2.1

The increasing impact of malware on smartphones means that many users need protection software. Webroot Security & Antivirus performs the necessary functions of a malware protection program and is easy to operate, even for beginning smartphone users.

The program is available for free, but there is an upgrade available to a premium version with additional features for $19.99 per year. Download and installation through the Google Play store completed as expected, although there is a lengthy user agreement that needs to be accepted in order to run the program. The main screen, which provides an overview of the phone'… Read more

Not every smartphone has detailed battery information at your fingertips. Battery Widget puts a simple but detailed battery indicator anywhere on your home screen. It's simple and elegant, but not as customizable as other battery widgets in the Play store. It's still worth trying out, though.

Though the app prides itself on its cool widget, it features detailed battery information for you to use, too. Since the app is 1X1, it can be placed anywhere on your phone's home screen. It would be nice if there were a bigger version to use, with a few more statistics. … Read more

Converting JPEGs to PDFs is one of those sort-of-everyday tasks that you really don't think about until it's time to do it, and then you look for a tool to do the job; preferably freeware and easy to use, too. But suppose this is a frequent task, something you do often and in large batches? Same answer: easy is good, and free is better. HiHiSoft's JPG to PDF is the sort of tool that can cover all bases. This standalone freeware converts single images or batches of files and folders to PDFs without requiring Acrobat or other … Read more

You're probably familiar with online data storage sites that promise to store your critical data securely, but do you really believe your data is totally safe when it's in someone else's hands and online, too? And are you sure that your computer's Internet connection is totally secure from intrusion and even attack? Common sense suggests the answer to both questions is "No," and that's the rationale behind MyInfosafe. It creates an encrypted, password-protected "personal data warehouse" that stores your important documents and data securely in your PC, not online. It does … Read more

There are all sorts of options for keeping your portable information organized. Some are online, some are integrated into e-mail accounts, and some live on our phones. Some are full suites of tools and others are standalone programs. SSuite Office's CleverNote PIM Portable is a surprisingly feature-filled program that's small enough to fit on a USB drive and keep your schedule, contacts, and other information at your fingertips. Unfortunately, some of its features work better in theory than in practice.

The program's interface is attractive and easy to navigate, with tabs representing its major features. It provides … Read more

Accurately estimating construction costs is the key to preparing bids that win contracts without bankrupting the contractor. Misronet's e-STM8 Construction Estimating Software is a useful tool for estimating job costs and submitting winning bids, but it can also manage jobs, material costs, and subcontracting. It's suitable for both the U.S. and international construction markets, too.

The efficient interface is typical of Windows utilities: File menu, icon-based toolbars, left-hand tree view for navigation and selecting functions, and a main display window subdivided into smaller windows, entry fields, and other features as needed. A Help menu and useful examples … Read more

Joboshare AVI to DVD Converter is an easy-to-use program that lets you burn AVI and MPG files to DVDs. The program isn't fancy, but it's a great choice for quickly editing videos and burning them to DVDs.

The program's interface is quite sleek and intuitive, with all of its major features represented by attractive graphical buttons. A small preview window lets you view the videos you are working with, which is a very helpful feature, and you can also preview a variety of templates for the DVD's menu. To create a DVD, you simply add individual … Read more

Joboshare Movie DVD Copy is an easy-to-use program that lets you copy movies from DVDs and burn them to other discs. The program's basic features and simple interface make copying movies a snap.

The program's interface is plain and intuitive, and it more or less walks you through each step of the process. Insert the source DVD and select whether you want the entire contents or just the main movie, and chose D5, D9, or a custom format. The program then quickly copies the selected files to your computer. Once that's done, the program takes users through … Read more

Leawo Free DVD to MP4 Converter converts DVDs and MP4 files for playback on portable media players or your computer. It also converts DVD files to MP3, WAV, and M4A files. You can save files in the AVI, MP4, MPEG-4, or MOV-Quick Time format.

Leawo's interface is well designed and easy to use. You can adjust settings such as audio and video quality. It's handy to have the high-quality options for playback on portable devices or TV monitors and low-quality choices for online playback and low-bandwidth uses. This program's standout feature is its customizable options. For example, … Read more