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Many applications used to create diagrams and graphics are costly, especially for small businesses and individuals. Shapes for Mac's basic features leave much to be desired, but could work for some basic uses.

The program's free trial version restricts the ability to save created diagrams. To unlock the full version, a payment of $4.99 is required. While Shapes for Mac states it supports product updates, it does not appear that there is active technical support. Instructions were not available and would have been welcome, but some users will probably be able to work with the menus as … Read more

For visual thinkers, office suite software typically lacks any tool for mapping or planning. Incubator for Mac performs this task well and has the expected features, albeit at a fairly high price for its limited functions.

Available as a free trial version, Incubator for Mac will not allow you to save and print without a watermark until a $49 payment for the full version is made. The program downloads and installs easily, but without a native installer. The well-guided setup goes quickly despite a lengthy user licensing agreement. The program prompts you initially as to whether you want to be … Read more

Even those with high-speed Internet connections often find Internet videos take time to buffer before playing. SpeedBit Video Accelerator for Mac tries to address this problem by accelerating video downloads, but with poor, if any, results.

While the initial program is free in a trial version, use of the full program requires a yearly subscription of $24.95. The trial version only allows video acceleration of SD videos. Upgrading to the paid version allows functions on HD video and acceleration of iTunes downloads. The program was small, but this did not translate to an easy installation. The process to install … Read more

Advanced users often want to work with the root directories on their iPods, but this can't be done using iTunes. With iExplorer for Mac, you can manage your iPod media and work with root directories and other advanced features. Still, its price may be too high for most people.

Available as a free trial version with some limitations, the full program costs $35.00 as an upgrade. Exactly which features are limited in the free trial is not listed or apparent from use. The app was quick to install and load. iExplorer for Mac immediately determines if an iPod … Read more

Despite the wealth of content available on YouTube, it still can't be enjoyed offline. 4Media YouTube Video Converter for Mac converts YouTube videos into watchable files, but at a relatively high price for its features.

While the full program requires a payment of $30.99, the free trial version allows a user to test its features, but with a three-minute limit on converted videos. 4Media YouTube Video Converter for Mac downloaded and installed quickly despite a size of over 100MB. After a brief loading time, the program revealed an interface that was slightly cluttered but functional. Instructions existed for … Read more

Video-hosting sites like YouTube are also a great source of free tunes. Even if the audio quality isn't usually the best, at least you can hear the song you're searching for, maybe with a video of a turntable spinning the vinyl original. You can save the YouTube vid, but to play the tune on your MP3 player or add it to your MP3 collection, you'll need to extract the audio. That's easy to do, though: Just convert Flash videos saved from YouTube and other sites into MP3s. Generally speaking, you have two choices: 1) an all-in-one … Read more

Solitaire belongs to the standard play-it-by-yourself card games. Now, instead of just playing it on a computer without Internet, with Solitaire -- Tablet Edition you can play it on your tablet, too. It's not as customizable as other solitaire apps, but it will kill some time on your tablet. Just don't bother playing it on any other gadget.

The app's card table contains a couple of animated ads that take up a lot of screen real estate. It doesn't disrupt the game too much on big-screen tablets, but they will cover up the cards on small-screen … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Instagram photos disappear from Twitter feeds.

- You can use IFTTT to post Instagram photos to Twitter cards.

- Twitter vs. Instagram in a knock-down, drag-out filters fight.

- Head-to-head: Twitter vs. Instagram filters.

- Sony putting an end to production of handheld cassette recorders.

- "Modern Seinfeld" Twitter account imagines Jerry and Co. in the Digital Age.

- Check out the CNET 100 of 2012.… Read more

As anyone who has spent evenings searching for and watching the occasional grumpy or existential cat video (don't look at us), you know that there are a ton of videos to weed through before finding the right one. YouPlayer offers users a way to search for their favorite video, and while it doesn't really offer anything different from the official YouTube app in terms of search, it performed as promised.

YouPlayer opens with a self-explanatory interface. Search options reside at the bottom of the screen. You can search by Featured videos, Most Viewed, and Trending. If you can'… Read more