2.4

Beautiful Widgets Free has stunning, useful widgets that all conform to a sleek theme. However, the app locks most of its useful settings and options behind a paywall. It's not too expensive, but you might prefer a free alternative.

The free app lets you preview slimmed-down versions of the app's 12 different widgets. These include weather, battery life, and other settings displays. They certainly live up to the beautiful name, but most of the options to adjust them to fit your phone require a $3 upgrade. If you don't pay up, you can't do much outside … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Coolpad follows up the original Quattro 4G with a new smartphone squarely targeted at budget shoppers. The Quattro 2 4G features a dual-core processor, runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and has 1GB of RAM.

The other attributes of the Quattro 2 4G are also relatively midrange, at least compared with today's cutting-edge handsets. The phone will use a 5MP camera for main photo duty and will rely on a 1,800 mAh battery for power. The screen is a large 4.5-inch LCD but sadly will have a mere qHD resolution (960 by 540 pixels). … Read more

The built-in camera for the iPhone is a great tool, allowing millions of people to take high-quality photos and share them near instantly with friends and family when on the go. But the actual app used to take photos is fairly limited. Fortunately, there are dozens of tools on the App Store that provide additional options for things like focus lock, exposure control, and white balance, including Camera Plus.

This version of Camera Plus is the lite version of the app so some of its more robust features are still missing; but even as a free app, it provides more … Read more

Not only does this app want to rescue your phone from wires, it also wants to help you control it without needing to get up to grab it. Browsix Lite for Android finds your phone and connects fast, but the Web component seems to be broken. If it is ever fixed, this will be a nice app to have handy.

Browsix Lite for Android requires you to be on the same network as your computer in order to work. Once you're connected, you have to load the app on your phone and in your browser to make the connection. … Read more

Some users find that their computer background images are important. Satellite Eyes for Mac, which automatically changes the background image to a map of the user's current location, is an interesting personalization option for Mac.

Available as a freeware program, Satellite Eyes requires no payments to unlock its full functioning. The program downloaded and installed easily, with no interaction required by the user. Upon startup, the program prompts the user to enable the computer's location settings. It would have been a nice feature if the program took the user to that menu automatically, but it did not. Once … Read more

For those who conduct extensive research and writing on their Macs, organizing this information for later use can be difficult. Papers for Mac works well to sort this data, and advanced students or researchers will likely benefit from the program.

Papers for Mac is available as a free trial version with unknown restrictions, while the full version costs $79 to unlock. While the download and installation took place quickly, the program required acceptance of an extremely long user agreement, which is uncommon for this type of program. Upon startup, the program recognizes the new user and prompts entry of basic … Read more

Creating DVDs from video files requires creation of a menu and chapter list. DVDStyler for Mac gives users options for setting up custom menus, but its software bugs make it a questionable option.

Available as freeware with no purchase required, the download, while slightly longer than typical, completed without issues. DVDStyler for Mac did not contain any instructions, which, in light of the complicated menus and options, would have been helpful. There did appear to be support for program updates.

Buttons along the program's top row are easy to identify for disc creation and file selection. The other menus … Read more

The number of games for Mac has increased significantly in recent years. While simple, BZFlag for Mac is a fun yet challenging game for all but the most advanced gamers.

BZFlag for Mac comes in a zip file. Once set up, there are basic directions, but no known technical support. The game's interface is very basic and would have been more appropriate in the 1990s, but its overall look is functional. There is no option to try the game outside of a multiplayer battle, which leads to some awkward experimentation while others are trying to play a serious game. … Read more

While many of the menus and descriptions are written in Chinese, the purpose of Mystic Arrow Free appears to be help locate and photograph ghosts and monsters near you. With a mystic theme and a simple arrow spinning on a compass, the app will quickly evaluate your surroundings and mark where a "ghost" or other creature may be hiding in relation to you.

The app itself is simple enough. Turn it on and activate location services. Then just tap the arrow and it will spin for two or three seconds and then point out nearby ghost locations. While … Read more