burner

Burner brings 'disposable' phone numbers to Android

After enjoying much success on iOS, Burner, the app that provides "disposable" phone numbers, has finally made its way to Android.

Have you ever wished you could have a temporary phone number for things like Craigslist purchases, job searches, or other short-term projects? Well, Burner provides just that. Think of it as an app that can disguise your phone. It gives you a temporary phone number from which you can place calls and send messages or receive calls and messages. Its phone numbers work exactly like the one provided by your carrier, but they stop working after a … Read more

Rip, convert, tag, and now burn CDs with FreeRip 4.0

FreeRIP extracts and converts your audio tracks, as well as detecting CD and song info and making all of that info editable right from the interface. It's easy to start right up with FreeRIP, which supports the most common audio formats--MP3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, and WAV. It can also convert files between any of those formats, play your audio files, and edit tags. With the release of version 4.0, the app now adds burning audio CDs to the mix of features that free users can access.

FreeRIP's bare-bones interface is set up for easy access and … Read more

Create, edit and burn your DVD masterpiece with Xilisoft DVD Creator 7

Xilisoft DVD Creator 7 is the latest iteration of this popular Mac OS DVD burning app. It is available from the App Store as well as numerous download sites. The full version of Xilisoft DVD Creator 7 costs $39.99 and installs easily.

Xilisoft DVD Creator 7 lets you create your own video DVDs complete with basic video editing, special effects, titles, and DVD menus. With support for most video formats (including AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX and others), Xilisoft DVD Creator 7 can handle your video files from almost any video camera or operating system. Creating a DVD starts with … Read more

Get a Samsung external DVD drive for $24.99

Problem: you just bought a MacBook, ultrabook, Netbook, or some other 'book that lacks an optical drive, and you need to install some disc-based software. Or you want to watch a DVD. Heck, maybe you've got a PC that already has an optical drive, but it's busted.

Solution: while supplies last, Amazon has the Samsung SE-208AB/TSBS external DVD drive for $24.99. Shipping is free if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber or you pad your cart by at least a penny. (Not sure what else to throw in there? Try the Amazon Filler Item Finder.)

If … Read more

Get more than a media player with RealPlayer

We have to admit that it had been years since we used RealPlayer, and we weren't quite sure what to expect from this version. Nor were we particularly excited about trying it out; we have a media player already, thank you, and what could RealPlayer possibly do that we hadn't already seen before? Quite a lot, it turns out. In addition to managing and playing your media, it can also download and convert videos, keep certain content private, and more.

RealPlayer has a sleek and intuitive interface that opened with a page touting its latest features. After a … Read more

Pioneer intros smallest, lightest Blu-ray burner

Pioneer's new BDR-XD04J contains a mind-numbing array of disc burning and playback options that should cover you for the next several years.

Perhaps the biggest highlight is support for BDXL BD-R discs, which means you can burn those fancy triple-layer 100GB and quad-layer 128GB Blu-ray discs in a tiny package. This is supposed to be the world's smallest BDXL-compatible portable drive. … Read more

Nero 11 Platinum does it all

Nero 11 Platinum is a one-stop tool shop that lets you rip, burn, back up, convert, edit, and organize all of your digital media. We think it's a solid multimedia work flow solution for casual media enthusiasts and prosumers alike. But be warned--the installation file is massive, tipping the scale at pretty close to 1GB. And installation takes quite a long time as it takes up about 2.5GB of memory. But, with 11 programs making up the powerful multimedia suite, we can see why, and we aren't complaining.

One of our biggest issues with Nero 11 is … Read more

Portable induction burner expands the stovetop

Kitchen countertops not only have a way of becoming overcrowded quite quickly, but they also lack the capability to expand outside of their boundaries. Not so with the stovetop. When those four burners become filled up with boiling water and busy fry pans, there is another option. Although nowadays, a portable burner can be so much more.

The Caso C21 Induction Burner fills the much appreciated duties of a "fifth burner," but it also does so with efficiency and style. Since induction cooking uses the pot or pan directly as the heat generator, more heat is transferred to … Read more

An induction burner for every kitchen

Over the past few years, induction has come to be considered the best type of cooking surface available. Despite that label, most of us don't have induction cooktops in our kitchens--and may not for some time to come. Unless you're ready to remodel your kitchen right away, the next best thing is the All-Clad Induction Burner. This burner can provide you with the ability to cook with induction, without replacing a major appliance. It is portable and can simply sit on your counter when not in use. It offers an extra-large glass-ceramic surface for cooking, which can be … Read more

Turn old videotapes into DVDs, no PC required

Over the years, I've seen lots of VHS-to-DVD transfer kits that involve your PC, a USB video-capture gizmo, and hard-to-use software. Almost without exception, they're a pain in the butt.

If you have old tapes you want to convert to DVD without all the pain, check out the Sony DVDirect DVD Recorder MC6, which B&H has refurbished for $119 (plus about $9 for shipping). It sells new for $199.99.

Update: Sorry, peeps--already sold out. Closest equivalent I've found is a new unit at Vann's for $169.97 shipped. That's still a pretty … Read more