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Smart Tools are powerful, yet simple

Even with its belt full of powerful tools onboard, Smart Tools is, for the most part, simple. The app opens up to a wall of choices, and if you've used any of Smart Tools' apps before, then all of them should look familiar. Smart Tools combines the powers of all of the developer's individual Pro tool sets.

The first set lets you measure length and angle, using a level, ruler, and two protractors (one which uses the screen, and the other your device's camera).

The second offers a Distance tool, which is a bit more complicated, as … Read more

Here is A Ruler For Windows

Onscreen rulers definitely belong in that class of PC tools that are useful enough to keep around but all too often overlooked. A Ruler For Windows (AR4F) is a free onscreen metric ruler that offers attractive skins and handy keyboard commands. It toggles into a reading guide, a straight bar for distinguishing fine lines of print and closely spaced text.

AR4F's default skin is an attractive wood-grain look. It's ruled for millimeters and marked every 100mm. A red line displays its position on the ruler, allowing for easy readouts of fine measurements. AR4F is easy to resize via … Read more

The 404 854: Where we don't point fingers (podcast)

Researcher in the Asian Journal of Andrology claims that the size ratio between your ring and index fingers has a direct correlation to the size of...another body part. There's a cheesy pickup line somewhere in there that we're too lazy to create.

In other news, Verizon is introducing tiered data plans and eliminating the unlimited model; Facebook is about to launch "something awesome;" and the slacker generation gets a new King on today's episode of The 404!

The 404 Digest for Episode 854

Finger length has anatomical significance. Facebook to launch "something awesome." Verizon confirms tiered data plans and hot-spot charge for July 7. Why young men are refusing to grow up.

Episode 854 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

YouTube bumps video limit to 15 minutes

Long-video makers can rejoice, as YouTube has extended the allotted time of user uploads from 10 to 15 minutes.

According to a Thursday post on YouTube's blog, increasing the limit was the most requested feature by YouTube users, though it had to be put on hold while the company worked on other projects and behind-the-scenes infrastructure. In March, for instance, the company announced that 24 hours of video was uploaded every minute. That's up from around six hours just three years ago. Given the new limit, that's a metric that's likely to keep on growing.

When … Read more

Determine optimum sizes for fabricating materials

Determining how to get the optimum lengths from stock-sized materials--such as pipes, bars, and beams--while reducing waste can greatly affect costs for fabricators and manufacturers. This handy app can take some of the pain out of those calculations.

1DNest launches a rather plain-though-functional interface. Although similar to the familiar three-paned e-mail client, this app features four panes: one across the top specifying the current project, a vertical pane on the left for listing and describing required parts, an upper-right pane for listing source materials, and a lower-right pane for entering size and waste allowances. A menu bar allows the user … Read more

Should a shorter video game be less expensive? Ask the Editors

Hey Jeff,

I am a devoted 404 listener and have been thinking about video games and the cost of them based on the amount of gameplay you receive.

I was very sad when say, The Force Unleashed, ended. Yes, you can go back and take two different paths, but I feel like the game was too short. If I went out and bought Fable II when it was new, it would cost the same as this game and just think of how many more hours of gameplay I would have gotten.

Should there be an organization that requires publishers to … Read more

What does Hulu offer that YouTube doesn't?

When it comes to offering full-length content on the Web, YouTube isn't ready to yield to Hulu.

On Thursday, the San Bruno, Calif.-based video site of Google announced that it had reached agreement with notable entertainment companies, including Sony Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment, and CBS (publisher of CNET News) to offer visitors full-length TV shows and feature films.

What this means is that YouTube wants to become a one-stop shop for everything video.

The strategy seems obvious. YouTube already has more than 100 million people visiting every month to watch a mixture of short clips created by amateurs … Read more

Sony Pictures confirms feature-film talks with YouTube

Sony Pictures has acknowledged that it is discussing a deal to license feature films to Google's YouTube.

On Monday, CNET reported the two companies were discussing a deal that could help YouTube become an outlet for premium full-length content. Right now, YouTube offers mostly independent films and a handful of titles from Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Sony Pictures wants to boost the profile of Crackle.com, the studio's own online video site, and a YouTube partnership could help promote the offering. Judging from other feature-film deals that Sony Pictures has cut with Hulu and others, Sony Pictures will likely … Read more

YouTube, Sony Pictures in talks over feature films

YouTube is in talks to acquire licensing rights to full-length content from Sony Pictures, home of such films as "The International" and "Spider-Man," sources familiar with the negotiations told CNET News. Details about what a final agreement could look like are sparse, but any partnership between the two powerhouses would likely benefit both.

Representatives from both companies declined to comment.

Word of the negotiations comes a week after Disney announced it had licensed short-form content to YouTube. Those clips will come from a range of Disney brands, including ABC and ESPN. For YouTube, obtaining short-form clips … Read more