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Microsoft Word is the No. 1 word processing program, but not everyone has it. That can be a problem if you need to submit something as a Word document (DOC format), but it's hardly insurmountable, thanks to tools like Free PDF to Word Doc Converter. It takes your PDFs, extracts and converts the data, and saves it in a DOC file that can be opened and edited with Word. It handles multiple pages, and it can reproduce images or remove them, depending on which suits your needs.

Free file converters tend to have simple GUIs, and Free PDF to … Read more

In my role as Secretary for Apocalypse Avoidance, sometimes it's hard to be kind.

Sometimes, you see, humanity decides to do things at which even Beelzebub might turn up his red nose.

And so it was, last night, as I was walking up San Francisco's Market Street that I discovered a trend I had yet to witness. … Read more

As OS X has progressed in development Apple has included more and more speech services options, including enhancing the text-to-speech features with smoother and more realistic voices, and also making this service more globally available to applications. In addition, Apple has provided a dictation service in Mountain Lion to allow conversions of spoken words back to text.

If you use these services, you may find it convenient to create hot-key shortcuts for them. The Dictation service has a default hot-key option, but the Text to Speech option does not, and by default requires you to select a body of text … Read more

The iPhone 5 may have a bigger screen, but text still looks pretty small to my aging eyes. In fact, it looks that way on all my iDevices.

That's because iOS relies on a fixed font size, and while a smattering of apps let you increase that size, there's no "font" option to be found in iOS settings.

Actually, there is, kind of, if you know where to look. It turns out you can enlarge the default iOS font a little bit or quite a bit, depending on your eyesight needs. Here's how:

1. Tap … Read more

Technology has, sadly, forced us into new forms of behavior.

Many of these involve the simultaneous performance of two very different acts. This is sometimes known as multi-tasking. This is sometimes over-taxing.

Indeed, Maria Pestrikoff of Kodiak, Alaska, discovered the difficulties of attempting two unrelated acts and rather failed in the attempt.

According to the Associated Press, her twin maneuver consisted of trying to toss a cigarette butt while texting.

I suggest you don't try this at home -- or, for that matter, anywhere. However, Pestrikoff was trying it in her own home. In her garden, in fact.

Her garden abuts a cliff that features a 60-foot drop. In attempting to multitask, Pestrikoff seems to have lost her balance and her bearings, slipped on wet grass and plummeted over the cliff.… Read more

I'm a big fan of any program that saves me time. And because I spend most of my day in front of a PC, the best time-savers are those that cut down on keystrokes and mouse clicks.

ActiveWords Plus cuts them down considerably. This insanely handy Windows utility performs a variety of time-saving functions, including substituting text, opening files and programs, loading favorite Web sites, and more.

It normally sells for $49.95 (which should tell you something about how robust this tool is), but for a limited time, as part of a Cheapskate exclusive, you can get ActiveWords Plus for $29.95.… Read more

As one who last professed true love in the previous century, it's hard for me to understand why people post cute, cuddly messages about their nearest and most expensive on Facebook.

You know the sort of thing: "My gorgeous wife just bought me a red toothbrush." Or: "My new boyfriend's smile makes my heart sing like Engelbert Humperdinck."

It's hardly: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight."

Still, I … Read more

While a huge percentage of Africa's more than 1 billion residents have cell phones, far fewer have access to e-mail. Google is trying to change that.

According to the Associated Press, the Web giant is embarking on an ambitious endeavor that will let people receive e-mails via text messages. In effect, Google will be giving people access to the Internet with feature handsets. Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya are the first countries to get the service.

Nigerians began seeing ads posted on billboards around the country for Google's text message email service in July, according to the Associated Press. … Read more

Underneath its slick interface, OS X has a number of hidden configuration files that contain the settings for default and standard behaviors. While in most cases these files being hidden is good for system stability and security, sometimes you may need to access one for troubleshooting purposes or to apply small customizations to the system.

Often these files can be accessed with simple one-line Terminal commands, as is commonly seen with the "defaults" command for editing program or service property lists; however, at other times you might need to make more extensive edits to a settings file. When … Read more