diary

Some of the best software takes simple tasks and finds a whole new and innovative way of dealing with them. On the other side of the coin, some of the worst software takes simple tasks and needlessly complicates them. Such is the case with Memo2050. This bare-bones program lets you create lists of weekly events, but there are so few features that we can't imagine why anyone would choose this program over a typical calendar.

The program's interface is plain, consisting of a gray square with a few buttons. The program displays dates in a list a week … Read more

As every parent knows, kids say the funniest things.

Like my daughter, who used to call hamburgers "hangabers." And loves to say, "You're very sweeticle, dad."

Take it from someone who knows: it's all too easy to forget these little bon mots. That's why I'm delighted by Posterity: The Family Quote Book for iOS, a simple but clever app that lets you capture all the funny things your kids say.

Posterity creates individual "books" for each kid, then lets you fill them with quotes. For each quote you can assign … Read more

Contrary to popular belief, diaries aren't just for teenage girls. Keeping a diary--or journal, if you prefer--is a great way to keep track not only of your most private thoughts, but also of work activities, food logs, travel, and much more. Efficient Diary Portable is a feature-packed program that lets users create custom diary entries and take them along on a portable device--all with password protection, of course.

The program's interface is sleek and attractive, and we had no trouble getting around. A tree hierarchy on the left lets you access entries from the current day, current month, … Read more

QuickCal Mobile is an app that lets you quickly create new events for your calendar using plain language typed into a text field.

Mac users may know QuickCal from the free Dashboard widget of the same name, and the interface shares some similarities: you create events in the same way, by typing into an always-on text field. QuickCal will automatically recognize most parameters--for example, "Go to gym tomorrow 11-noon," "Yard work next Saturday at Dad's house," or "Team meeting next Friday for two hours starting at 3." As you type, the app will … Read more

CallitADay is an easy, inviting app that helps you create an electronic diary, with text, images, and even audio and video recording.

CallitADay's streamlined interface suits its straightforward purpose: the main, three-part window has a calendar (to start an entry, you select the date you want), a sidebar of previous entries (which you can organize by topic and browse as thumbnails, in a grid or Cover Flow-style), and a large editing pane, with controls for zooming, changing fonts and color, and browsing back through previous entries. This main window also has buttons for quickly creating audio and video recordings (… Read more

Wikileaks, the document-leaking organization that has previously released internal U.S. military videos, on Sunday disclosed more than 75,000 confidential files related to the war in Afghanistan.

The group gave the documents in advance to The New York Times, Germany's Der Spiegel, and the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, which independently confirmed their authenticity. The Guardian called the disclosure a "devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan," saying it reveals how the U.S.-led coalition has killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have risen, and NATO commanders worry that neighboring Pakistan … Read more

It's not always easy to keep everyone on the same page when you have multiple employees working on the same projects, but with different tasks, appointments, and deadlines. We love the idea of a networked task manager that lets employees keep up with both individual and team tasks and activities. Unfortunately, A VIP Task Manager Professional Edition does a terrible job of executing this concept. Any time that could be saved by keeping employees abreast of each others' activities will surely be lost trying to figure this program out.

The application's interface is a disaster. It's cluttered … Read more

HyperCalendar from Foryousoft is a full-featured Personal Information Manager (PIM) that combines a desktop calendar and scheduling program with multimedia reminders, an analog clock display, sound recorder, and an encrypted diary in rich-text format. You can change the look, position, and other aspects of the display. Password protection secures the program from prying eyes, a feature that shouldn't be underestimated.

The first thing you notice about HyperCalendar is its semitransparent TopCalendar display, which features the month's calendar, the analog clock, and navigation buttons. You can drag the calendar anywhere on the desktop, resize it, and alter its transparency … Read more

Efficient Diary is an attractive diary application that lets you record and organize diary entries in a variety of ways. The program's sleek design and useful features give it a definite edge over the traditional paper diary or alternatives like password-protected Word documents.

The program's interface is well organized and nice to look at, resembling the familiar Microsoft Outlook, and the built-in Help file is well written and thorough. You can customize your diary entries with a full range of colors, fonts, sizes, and effects. You can also insert images and attach documents to diary entries. You can … Read more