movies

Jazz up your Webcam feeds with ArcSoft's WebCam Companion 4

Webcam utilities come in several flavors. Some emphasize the security angle by monitoring several cameras at once, much like a CCTV system. Others have a different objective: fun. ArcSoft's WebCam Companion 4 definitely falls into the second group. This shareware Webcam manager not only handles your Webcams but also edits and adds cool stuff to your video feeds, such as masks and text. It can capture 3D and HD video and still images, and it makes it easy to share everything on Facebook, Twitter, and other Web sites. But that doesn't mean WebCam Companion doesn't also make … Read more

In iOS 6.1, Siri will help with movie ticket purchases

Siri will get a little smarter with the next version of iOS.

The iOS 6.1 update will give the voice-command feature the ability to order movie tickets through Fandango, according to 9to5Mac.

Users can ask to get movie tickets for a specific film and location, and Siri will bring up a theater and showtime. Users can then click to purchase the tickets, which brings up the Fandango apps to finish out the transaction. If the device doesn't have Fandango, Siri will direct users to a link to download the app.

The feature is exclusive to the U.S., … Read more

Perian lays most file formats under QuickTime 9 or earlier

Perian is a software app that makes viewing your media files easier. Basically, Perian enables QuickTime application support for a wide variety of media files. Perian is available from several sources, but not the App Store when we looked. It installs easily as long as you have no software already installed that can conflict with Perian.

Perian supports a variety of file types for both video and audio files. All the standard file formats are supported, but there's a ton of less-commonly found file formats supported by Perian, too. Perian works without you realizing it is there. When QuickTime … Read more

Download YouTube videos with automatic format conversion

MovieSherlock is a YouTube downloader for the Mac platform. When you see a YouTube video you want to save locally, you invoke MovieSherlock and it handles the download for you. MovieSherlock can convert formats, as well as provide search integration. The Lite version of MovieSherlock sells for $14.99, while two more-powerful editions sell for $24.99 and $39.99. There is no free evaluation version.

The MovieSherlock interface lets you type in the name of a video you would like to watch, and it will search YouTube for the content, download it, and launch it in a player. Converting … Read more

Lucas: Disney might have been Star Wars' only hope

In a video released today, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas explained that he decided to sell his media empire to The Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion because he believed it would "protect" Lucasfilm and its cash cow, the "Star Wars" franchise.

Sitting at a table alongside Lucasfilm co-chairman Kathleen Kennedy -- who will be Lucasfilm's president under Disney -- Lucas explained that in recent months, as he had mulled retirement and what he wanted to do with his life, he realized that the "perfect person to take over the company … Read more

KMPlayer adds video channels and apps

KMPlayer has changed a bit since we reviewed version 3.2 back in May. KMPlayer has always been popular and familiar software, so the latest version might be a bit of an eye-opener -- in good ways and bad. One of the new additions, "KMP Plus," acts as a dashboard for the program. On startup, users are greeted by an interactive home screen where they can watch promoted videos and advertisements, browse video channels, or access their own library content directly.

KMP Plus is attempting to become a premium service, but this 3.4 release highlights what seems … Read more

Create your movie masterpiece with ease

iMovie 11 is the latest incarnation of Apple's popular video authoring tool. With it, you can import video clips from external devices or from anywhere else, arrange them on a timeline, shuffle them around, and preview the results; when you're happy you can create a final video file suitable for burning to DVD or uploading to share with others.

iMovie 11 has a clean interface. You drag files (video, audio, image) to a project area, and from the file area you drag what you want onto the timeline in the bottom pane, arranging the files in the order … Read more

Can anyone in space hear you scream? Scientists try to find out

Some screams come from the gut.

Yes, just like that horrible monster thing in "Alien."

Now scientists with only extreme discovery in their locker of ambition have decided to learn, once and for all, whether a scream in outer space can awaken alien ears.

The Cambridge University Spaceflight team behind this experiment are truly committed explorers.

They have created a video featuring Albert Einstein -- or at least a posh-speaking version of him.

The idea is very simple. They want you to go to YouTube and record your best and most frightening, piercing scream. Indeed, the scientists want you to scream "in a creative way." … Read more

How to add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for free

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 8 will not come with Windows Media Center as part of the operating system. It's now an add-on that can be purchased through the Add Features option in Windows 8. For a limited time, however, Microsoft is offering Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro customers for free. Here's how to get it:

Request your free product key from Microsoft's Web site. Hit the shortcut, Win+W, then type "add features." Select "Add features to Windows 8." Click on "I already have a product key," then enter … Read more

App tells when to go pee during movies and not miss much

It's best not to watch that freaky, edge-of-your-seat slasher flick with a full bladder. But pee happens -- and sometimes it's hard to anticipate nature's call before settling in at the multiplex. Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to miss a key scene (or screw it up for your aisle-mates) when you darted to the bathroom?

Fear not, cinephiles -- there's an app for that.

It's called RunPee, and fortunately it has nothing to do with marking your trail to find your way home from your morning jog.… Read more