filings

Insignificant bug keeps encrypted disks unlocked after ejecting in OS X

Apple's CoreStorage disk encryption technology has a small bug that will keep a disk unlocked, even after it has been ejected from the system.

In OS X Lion, Apple introduced a drive management technology called CoreStorage. When enabled, CoreStorage will create a "logical volume group" out of one or more physical drive partitions, and then create usable "logical volumes" from this group to serve as storage for your system. This setup allows the logical volume to span multiple physical partitions (as is seen with Apple's Fusion Drive), and support features like encryption for Apple'… Read more

Review: FilePop offers cool, unique features for video conversion

FilePop is one of the better video converters on the market, and has some neat extras in it, too. It has a very clean, attractive layout, tons of statistics, and even a built-in YouTube downloader. Its impressive speed really pushes it over the edge, making it one of the best converters you can find.

This download organizes file types based on what gadget uses them. It's a neat feature, but it would be nice if you could change what files were associated with each device. As for actually converting, FilePop is faster than many other downloads on the market. … Read more

OS X Mavericks switches to SMB2 networking

The Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) was Apple's default networking protocol in the classic Mac OS as well as in OS X, but it has fallen out of favor with the advent of SMB2 in the upcoming OS X Mavericks.

Server Message Block (SMB) is a file transfer protocol that has been the main networking protocol for Windows-based systems. Having different default protocols has made the use of both Windows and Mac systems on the same network frustrating, since until Apple introduced native SMB support in OS X, users had to rely on third-party SMB support for sharing files with … Read more

Review: PC Files connects your iOS device to your desktop for file sharing

PC Files offers a unique tool for transferring files between a PC and iOS device, but with enough extra steps that it's hard to justify leaving alternatives like cloud storage or Bluetooth transfer behind. Considering the second client required on your desktop and the limited storage interface on your iOS device, there are quite a few solutions that offer more flexible methods for sharing those files.

After downloading PC Files, the first step is to install the companion app on your desktop. From there, you can set up both apps to transfer select files between devices. The process is … Read more

How to transfer large files on Facebook with Pipe

Think of how you share files with friends and family. Do you send it to them in an e-mail, through a Skype conversation, or upload it to Dropbox and share a link? Now you can use Pipe on Facebook to send files up to 1GB.

Pipe, a newly launched app for Facebook lets you send files to friends and family, even if they aren't online at that moment. The great thing about using an app that integrates with Facebook over another service is that both parties are probably using Facebook already. You won't have to instruct a friend … Read more

Review: Instashare streamlines moving files between iOS devices and your Mac

Instashare manages to stand out among the increasingly crowded number of file transfer and backup apps on the App Store. That alone makes it worth downloading for anyone with multiple iOS devices and desktop computers, but it also works seamlessly when sharing files with other users. While there are some hiccups in execution and we noticed some small performance issues, this is one of the better options currently available for what it does.

Instashare requires you to have the client installed on any device with which you want to share. However, unlike other clients, Instashare is designed to be integrated … Read more

Review: iFileExpress provides a desktop-to-iOS device file transfer tool

The purpose of iFileExpress is to make transferring files between your iOS devices and Mac or PC easier. However, by requiring tethered file transfers through iTunes or the iFileExpress desktop client, the service lags behind some other wireless options. It is more secure, but the setup and execution of the software will make it a second or even third choice for many iOS users.

The app opens with a full tutorial for how to use it. For the most part, you will need to have already installed iFileExpress on your PC or Mac, or you can set it up in … Read more

Review: Cosmos System Care Free scans your computer for any problems

Cosmos System Care Free is touted as your all-in-one maintenance tool to keep your computer system healthy and clean. Indeed, when you first download the program, you are offered the chance for an immediate scan. However, while this program seems to be wide in scope, the free version only offers to scan your computer for problems; it doesn't fix them.

Cosmos System Care Free took more than 35 minutes to download, extract, and install on a dual processing system. The program scans for security problems including privacy issues, includes a file decryptor and encryptor, and backs up or restores … Read more

Review: FAR Manager helps you view and manage files and folders

If you are tired of drag-and-drop file manipulation in the Windows' GUI, then FAR Manager, with its command line and DOS-like interface for file creation and editing is for you. The program downloads easily and is free to use.

As a text-based application, FAR Manager allows the user to manipulate files by renaming them, moving them from directory to directory, and opening them in another window. You can also delete files, create new files, or edit certain files by clicking on them. Most users won't find the interface intuitive, but that is to be expected. If you are used … Read more

Review: Switch Audio Converter changes the audio format of music files

Switch Audio Converter for Mac lets you change any format of audio into MP3 format and vice versa in a matter of seconds. The application supports batch converting and has many other more advanced features.

Switch Audio Converter for Mac comes with a 14-day free trial, after which some extra features will expire. At around 1.4MB the application downloaded very quickly and was easy to install. The interface might seem slightly overwhelming at first as there are a lot of options, but ultimately it proved easy to use. It's very quick to select single files or a whole … Read more