studio

Auto Collage Studio offers to help users customize their photos and create collages. Thanks to an uneven interface and functionality that doesn't live up to its competition, this program has a long way to go.

Auto Collage Studio's interface was an immediate headache. You are given no direction on how to create a collage and the graphics of the program didn't really provide any guidance. The Help file was vague and equally frustrating. Luckily, a few minutes of experimenting finally brought the entire collage maker into focus. Collages were created by selecting a photo, a frame, and … Read more

MagicEffect Photo Editor is an easy, breezy way to add style to your photos. Choose from effects such as Sketch, Star, Amazing, and Dream to make your photos stand out from the rest.

This simple application has a basic interface that includes buttons running down the left side of the program that apply the program's different effects. To the right, the program shows you the original source picture and a preview of what the picture will look like once the selected effect is applied. It shows you 10 versions of what the picture looks like with the effect, ranging … Read more

Last week Google announced the beta version of Adsense for mobile applications. With this new service, developers will be able to better monetize their applications and games. What's more, the revenue generated should be enough to encourage developers into spending more time on their Android projects.

In order to qualify for the beta service, a developer's application must generate 100,000 impressions per day. The developers generate revenue based on the number of people who click on an advertisement they display. The click-through rate, or CTR, is often higher on mobile ad units because they are highly targeted … Read more

Laughing in the face of the concepts of the "tragedy of the commons" and "don't-design-by-committee," a game publisher has decided to put nearly all of the design decisions for a forthcoming console video game in the hands of a large-scale community of users.

The publisher, Roundhouse Interactive, says it will work with programming partner Frima Studio, but will rely mainly on the whims of a potentially six-figure-large community for the major decisions in the game's creation. The game, which is currently going by the code name The Game Cartel, is expected to be a … Read more

A while ago, Western Digital announced new lines of My Book single volume external hard drives that offer 2TB of storage. It was only a matter of time before the company introduced its new dual-drive My Book Studio Edition II external hard drive with 4TB of storage.

The new drive, like its previous versions, is designed to work with Mac computers and comes with most connection options found in an external hard drive. The My Book Studio Edition II comes with USB 2.0, FireWire, and eSATA and is preformatted for Macs and compatible with Time Machine, the automatic backup … Read more

Framing Studio allows digital photographers the opportunity to line their pictures up with different frames and apply special effects to each shot. With a simple interface, our only concern is whether all users will find the product useful.

The program has a very simple interface featuring a large center screen for viewing photos and big command icons along the left side for applying frames and effects. Users looking for a lot of choices will be pleased with the dozens of framing options ranging from wild and crazy, to dignified and traditional. The effects are less impressive, thanks to a small … Read more

ScreenHunter Pro provides users with a program that quickly and easily replaces the traditional method of making a screenshot. While the program works well, users may want to try the free version instead.

Screenhunter has a fairly self-explanatory interface designed to help users toggle between options for capturing screenshots. For those who are still confused, the program offers a very in-depth Help file that walks through each function and your opportunities. While choosing between entire screen captures or focusing on a particular image and saving it was simple, we couldn't help but wonder why anyone would choose the paid … Read more

Targeted largely at students, Dell's new Studio 14z laptop was quietly announced this morning. Part of the upscale but affordable Studio line, which brings in design elements from Dell's high-end XPS laptops, the Studio 14z is thin and light for a 14-inch system, starting at 4.5 pounds and from .76-1.2-inches thick (the body is slightly tapered). Helping it shave away the extra millimeters is an LED display and the lack of an internal optical drive. Dell calls it, "a homework-busting system by day and an entertainment powerhouse by night."

In a press release, Dell … Read more

Update 6:20 a.m. Thursday: To include more background on new witness.

RealNetworks introduced a new witness in the RealDVD case on Wednesday, a move that comes late in the court proceedings that could decide the software's fate.

Real is locked in a court battle with the major movie studios over RealDVD, a software that enables owners to copy DVDs and store them to a hard drive. The Motion Picture Association of America filed suit against Real last fall, accusing the company of violating copyright law and breach of contract. U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel could rule … Read more