3.1.4

MacTubes is the free application all YouTube users will love to use. It does exactly what its name suggests by bringing video content right onto your Mac computer without the need to launch a Web browser to find the video you are looking for.

MacTubes' interface couldn't be more simplistic or clean: all you have to do is enter your keyword(s) into the search field and the fun begins. We like the feature that narrows down the search to different countries, as well as the option to either watch or save for future viewing. MacTubes supports multiple formats … Read more

MiniBin is a free recycling bin for your Windows system tray, also known as the notification area. It lets you open or empty the Recycle Bin from the system tray, or drag and drop items into it. It can serve as a Recycle Bin replacement if you're using a desktop environment that hides or disables the default bin. But it also makes a great little trash bin, sort of an ashtray for the system tray. It even includes some themes for changing the tray icon's look.

After we installed MiniBin, we clicked the system tray and selected Customize … Read more

Over time, our browsers become a reflection of us, with specific bookmarks, feeds, and other customizations that match our tastes. For that reason, we love the idea of taking our customized browser with us on a USB drive wherever we go. Maxthon Portable let us do just that. Due to its lack of import options for other popular browsers, though, you'll need to spend a little time with it to get it right where you want it.

As its name suggests, the program can be launched from a USB drive or similar portable device. The browser interface is clean … Read more

The Windows clipboard can be an important tool for temporarily saving and moving blocks of texts or other objects, but its standard features are somewhat lacking. ArsClip adds numerous options to the clipboard, making it much easier to keep track of and use numerous clipboard items.

The program appears as an icon in the system tray, and double clicking on it brings up a configuration menu. There's plenty to configure; users can select hot keys for various functions, customize the way that the program handles clipboard objects and pasting, and specify the characteristics of the pop-up window that displays … Read more

If you've caught yourself scratching your head trying to figure out what type of HDMI cable to buy, you're probably not alone. With so many versions, it's hard to know which does what. However, very soon, you won't have that trouble anymore.

In an effort to make it easier for customers to identify the right products for their needs, HDMI Licensing released Thursday, on behalf of the HDMI Founders, an updated version of the HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines. HDMI Licensing is the agent responsible for licensing the high-definition multimedia interface specification.

The most notable changes in the guidelines are significant restrictions on the use of version numbers and new marketing requirements for cables. These new requirements are designed to simplify the product selection process for consumers, enabling them to purchase an appropriate product based on features, instead of having to do research on what each version does.

According to the new guidelines, adopters will no longer be allowed to use HDMI specification version numbers in the labeling, packaging, or promotion of their HDMI-compliant products. These restrictions go into effect immediately for cable products. Noncable products, however, have until January 1, 2012, to fully comply.

The new guidelines designate all HDMI cable products into five types:… Read more