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Allowing you to transmit Web-based data and content via Bluetooth, PdaNet for Android allows your PC to connect to the Internet using both the phone's standard radio and its Bluetooth radio. PdaNet for Android is free to try but the full version will cost you $23.95.

The version of the app discussed here is the one paired with a 64-bit Windows machine. When it comes to the interface, access to the PdaNet for Android app is almost instantaneous. You are just given two options, to enable USB tether or to enable Bluetooth DUN. Each option, when chosen, provides … Read more

Hewlett-Packard is offering decent Black Friday deals on some of its premier Windows 8 laptops. And the company has announced shipment dates for a couple of its newest touch-screen entries.

HP's Spectre and Spectre XT models are its top-of-the-line lappies. While just-announced Spectres got tiny discounts, a couple of not-so-recent entries are selling for $100 off today. … Read more

VNC stands for Virtual Network Computing. Based on a simple, robust protocol, VNC connections let you remotely view and control one computer from another using the Internet or a private network. UltraVNC lets anyone create VNC connections between two or more PCs running its software. Freeware, actually: UltraVNC is free but powerful enough to provide customer support and remote administration. It's easy to use, as VNC packages go, but it's not really for beginners. For example, you must install the client (Viewer) on one system and the Server on another, and both PCs must allow remote access. The … Read more

Mixxx is a free music studio suite suitable for pros, semi-pros, and advanced amateurs. No flash in the pan, Mixxx has been evolving since 2001, and today it not only has the proven DJ tools you'll find on most studio software but also more than a few unique features, options, and capabilities. You'll have to spend a little time with Mixxx to learn what it can do, though we were also impressed with how easy the program is to navigate and use. Mixxx can be had in dedicated versions for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows; we sampled the 64-bit … Read more

If you're in the market for a capable antivirus, firewall, and Internet security solution for Windows, would you consider one that consistently ranks at or near the top in tests against the big names in antivirus protection? A lightweight app that's frugal with system resources? One that offers timely, automatic updates, an effective firewall that integrates with Windows, and user-friendly operation that's mostly in the background? Suppose we added the fact that it's free and that you might even have it already, and if not, it's a few clicks away? Sounds great! What is it? … Read more

Most Windows users will probably agree that it's frustrating when you can't close a malfunctioning application or process, even with the Task Manager. ProcessKO from Nenad Hrg is a free tool that can terminate nearly any running process or app, forcibly if necessary. Because it's often the same culprit that causes trouble, you can create Favorite KOs to target specific processes quickly. ProcessKO is for experienced users like developers and admins. It's easy to use, even for beginners, but that's the problem: if you're not sure what you're doing, you can kill the … Read more

If your idea of a desktop calendar is a stack of paper you can write notes on as opposed to a trifold organizer or day book, Rainy's Rainlendar Lite is probably your calendar. It's largely unobtrusive and transparent, like a widget, though you can customize its look. But unlike a simple calendar widget or gadget, Rainlendar Lite is also a personal manager that can remind you of tasks and important events. It's fully compatible with most other iCalendar apps, so you can import and export data such as events. You can back up your calendar and even … Read more

NirSoft's RegScanner is a lightweight, portable tool that searches the Windows registry for specific values, displaying its findings in a simple list view that lets you quickly access specific results. You can view the properties of registry values, open items in their containing folder, or double-click items to open them directly in the Windows Registry Editor (RegEdit). RegScanner is easy to use, even for beginners, but our usual caution about changing things in the registry applies to RegScanner since it's perfectly capable of deleting keys as well as copying, saving, and exporting them. We recommend utmost caution when … Read more

Windows has to be all things to all users, which leads to enduring compromises like the built-in Search Files and Folders module. Many third-party developers offer improved search tools for Windows. NirSoft's SearchMyFiles is a portable freeware search tool that lets you scour your system with greater accuracy and specificity than the built-in Search tool. You can search by wild card and the usual attributes as well as by content (text or binary). SearchMyFiles is a compact application that is frequently updated. The latest version we saw added a new feature, a Recent Config Files menu that lets users … Read more