convert

If you watch a lot of video on your computer, a decent video converter is an absolute necessity. But if you also watch a lot of video on your smartphone or tablet, or like to make DVDs, or find yourself constantly saving bits of video for later, a decent video converter isn't good enough. You need a good one. Like Xilisoft's Video Converter Ultimate. It's on the high side of premium video converters for home use, but you get what you pay for, which in this case means automatic profiles enhanced for just about any device or … Read more

FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. It's a free, open source standard for compressing audio files. It's popular because it's lossless: Storing your tunes as FLAC files preserves their quality better than more "lossy" standards, including MP3s. While many media players handle FLAC files, plenty of portable devices don't. If you store digital music as FLAC files but your portable player doesn't play them, you'll need to convert them to MP3s first. For that job, you'll need a tool like PolySoft's Free FLAC to MP3 Converter. It's totally … Read more

LAS VEGAS--iPad keyboard cases galore litter CES, but Belkin has some nice new models up its sleeve, including a clever one that converts your old Apple keyboard. I gave them a whirl over at Belkin's booth.

The Convertible Keyboard Case (top), announced at the show, costs just $49 and adopts a standard Apple bluetooth keyboard to become a pretty portable keyboard case. The foldable case essentially acts as a wraparound folio/stand, but its design is elegant, finding a way to fold the Apple keyboard's tubular back into the design without adding bulge.

The Ultimate Keyboard Case is … Read more

I'm about to start packing for CES, which kicks off next week in Las Vegas, and I'm having a devil of a time deciding what tech to bring.

My phone, sure, but what else? Do I go laptop or tablet? If I choose laptop, am I better off with a convertible? If I choose tablet, do I want something as large as an iPad, or would I be happier with something more pocket-friendly -- a phablet, perhaps?

These are common questions nowadays as the lines between mobile devices grow ever blurrier. We want a screen, obviously, but what … Read more

Intel will talk more about limited-run versions of its Ivy Bridge processor next week at the Consumer Electronics Show. Those chips are expected to be used by select laptop and tablet vendors, as the chipmaker tries to take on rivals with increasingly power-efficient Core series silicon.

"Limited SKUs" of Intel's 3rd Generation processor, aka Ivy Bridge, will have a power rating below 10 watts, allowing the processor to throttle down to a sub-10-watt power envelope, an Intel spokesperson told CNET. This "will enable new ultrabook designs" and the chip is "coming very soon," … Read more

I'm by no means the first one to say this but Windows 8 and older PCs make an odd couple.

But let me back up for a second. Before the release of Windows 8 on October 26, I tested Windows 8 on tablets only, such as the Intel-based Samsung slate that Microsoft sold in its stores. And I was impressed with Metro.

That was then. Windows 8 Pro 64-bit is now installed on my Dell Adamo laptop. And I rarely venture into the Metro UI unless if I'm forced to.

Of course if you're one of the … Read more

It's been a fun series of freebies this week! Free seasons of TV shows (now expired, alas), free movies from Vudu, a free membership to ShopRunner -- and today, to top it all off, some free software.

Before I tell you about it, I'm going to ask that you please read the instructions as I've outlined them below, as these giveaways always seem to trip up some readers. There's nothing complicated here, but if you don't pay attention, you'll end up e-mailing me about what a fake or scam or screw-up this is.

So. … Read more

Converting your audio files to another format so you can play them on a different gadget becomes a breeze with this software. 1Click Audio Converter will convert your files into one of three formats that work on most media players. The transfer is very fast and you can convert multiple files in a single go.

When people talk about bare-bones downloads, they mean this program. It installs easily and does one thing and one thing only: convert audio files. You can make quick audio clips of the song you want, but that's all. While this may be a negative … Read more

Video converters take a saved video file and convert it from one file type to another -- typically, from one you can't play to one you can. Video converters let you change your videos to play on any device, or standardize a bunch of different file types in one format. Simple Video Converter is a shareware converter that makes those jobs easy. Its menu-based conversion tool makes picking the right format as easy as clicking on your device type, such as iPad or Android. Simple Video Converter can also clip, edit, and merge videos. Its advanced features include Nvidia … Read more