OpenOffice.org
This free office suite includes a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database, and drawing and presentation programs.




NoScript
Protect your PC by customizing your JavaScript preferences in Firefox, Flock, or Mozilla.




Maxthon
Beef up Internet Explorer with needed features like ad-blocking.




VLC
Play countless video and audio formats with this free player.




AbiWord
Replace Word with this multiplatform, free alternative that covers the basics.




Advanced SystemCare Free
Anti-spyware, a Registry cleaner, privacy cleaner, PC optimizer...this all-in-one tool includes more as well.




Lavasoft Privacy Toolbox
Protect your digital information with Lavasoft File Shredder and Digital Lock in one easy-to-use application.




Aspire ONE A110-1588 Blue Netbook - Lowest Price: $229.95
Acer redefines mobile connectivity with the Aspire One, a netbook packed with fun and powerful computing features in a diminutive 8.9" form factor weighing as little as 2.2 pounds. Perfect for business professionals, students and world travelers, it offers a choice of wireless connectivity, Internet access, built-in webcam and the storage space needed for digital photos. It?s time to simplify your life with the Aspire One.




OpenOffice.org Portable
Get an excellent, free office suite small enough to fit on a USB flash drive.

LG LX370 - silver (Sprint)
The LG LX370 is a great, well-rounded, midtier phone for Sprint customers.

Samsung Axle SCH-r311 (U.S. Cellular)
Though its voice quality isn't amazing, the Samsung Axle is a functional phone for basic communication.

Apple iPhone 3GS - 32GB - black (AT&T)
The iPhone 3GS doesn't make the same grand leap that the iPhone 3G made from the first-generation model, but the latest Apple handset is still a compelling upgrade for some users. The iPhone 3GS is faster and we appreciate the new features and extended battery life, but call quality and 3G reception still need improvement.

Motorola Rival (purple, Verizon Wireless)
Though we like the Motorola Rival's features, its poor design keeps us from recommending it.

RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 without camera (Verizon Wireless)
With a winning design and fast performance, the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 is one of Verizon Wireless' top smartphones for both business users and messaging fanatics.

Samsung Exclaim SPH-M550 - blueberry (Sprint)
The Samsung Exclaim is a welcome addition to Sprint's handset line. Its dual-slider design, feature set, and good call quality more than compensate for its shortcomings.

Nokia N97 - black (unlocked)
While the Nokia N97 is packed with features and offers the freedom of an unlocked phone, its clunky touch interface, sky-high price tag, and outdated operating system make it hard to recommend when there are better touch-screen smartphones on the market.

HTC Snap (Sprint)
The HTC Snap for Sprint offers snappy performance and good messaging features, but the smartphone's plastic build and lack of Wi-Fi don't justify the price.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 (silver)
With a flexible lens in a pocketable package, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 is a pleasing point-and-shoot megazoom--both in design and photo quality.

2Wire MediaPoint Digital Media Player w/ Blockbuster OnDemand
While it falls short of competing options from Vudu, Apple, and Roku, the 2Wire Blockbuster OnDemand box offers basic on-demand movie streaming at an attractive price.

Unicellular "Enigma" Changes From Predator To Plant and Back
SilverEar writes "Imagine a creature that swims and preys on others, but once it eats a certain kind of plant, that plant grows inside it, causing the predator to lose its ability to prey and start using sunlight to make its food. Its preying mouth is replaced by an eye that is needed to find sunlight. This is the Hatena ('enigma' in Japanese). The kicker: when Hatena reproduces, one offspring is a peaceful photosynthesizer with the sun-seeking eye, while the other is yet again a predator with a voracious mouth."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Aspire One AOA110-1995 Netbook - Lowest Price: $239.95
Empower yourself with the incredibly light yet remarkably productive Acer Aspire One AOA110-1995 ? the thin & light netbook that weighs only 2.2 pounds. Great for getting things done - whether checking email, managing online accounts or chatting with friends - the Aspire One offers a familiar Microsoft Windows XP Home operating system that clearly organizes everything needed to surf the Internet, work or simply have fun. This small but smart netbook comes with built-in 802.11b/g WiFi for easy access to available wireless networks. The Acer Aspire One AOA110-1995 Netbook has an 8.9-inch CrystalBrite LED backlit display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels and features the unique Acer CrystalEye webcam for live video streaming, video chats and conferences. Other great features include a 1.60GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB DDR2 533MHz memory, 16GB of storage (8GB SSD + 8GB SDHC card), a SD Card reader, Multi-in-one media card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, and a variety of pre-loaded software. Travel light, but smart, with the Acer Aspire One AOA110-1995 Netbook.




Eee PC 1000HE Black Netbook - Lowest Price: $369.00
The Eee PC 1000HE Netbook Computer from ASUS is a tiny computer, designed with ultra-portability in mind. The two pound system is an ideal traveling companion. Its 10" screen is perfect for watching videos when traveling. It features standard 802.11g Wi-Fi, allowing you to hop on to wireless networks and hotspots with ease.




Optical Transistor Made From Single Molecule
An anonymous reader writes "Researchers from ETH Zurich have recently managed to create an optical transistor from a single molecule in what is yet another important achievement on the road to quantum computing. The molecule itself is about 2 nanometers in size, much smaller than standard transistors, which means that a lot more could be integrated in a single chip. Dr. Hwang, lead author of the academic paper, said, 'Our single-molecule optical transistor generates almost negligible amount of heat. When a single molecule absorbs one photon, there is some probability (quantum yield) that the molecule emits a photon out. The rest of the energy absorbed turns into heat in the matrix. For the case of the specific hydrocarbon molecule that we use, the quantum yield is near 100%. So almost no heat is generated.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Aspire ONE A110-1588 Blue Netbook - Lowest Price: $229.95
Acer redefines mobile connectivity with the Aspire One, a netbook packed with fun and powerful computing features in a diminutive 8.9" form factor weighing as little as 2.2 pounds. Perfect for business professionals, students and world travelers, it offers a choice of wireless connectivity, Internet access, built-in webcam and the storage space needed for digital photos. It?s time to simplify your life with the Aspire One.

Alesis TapeLink USB
The Alesis TapeLink USB offers a comprehensive and familiar solution for transferring your old cassette tapes into digital audio.

Grace Digital Bravado GDI-IRD4400M
The Grace Digital Bravado Wi-Fi radio has a unique component-style design and better sound than step-down models.

What's the Importance of Graphics In Video Games?
An anonymous reader writes "I develop games as a hobby. I've experimented with games on almost every platform available. For me, the gameplay is the most influential factor of a game, with history and graphics dividing second place. But, for some reason, it's not the technical beauty of the graphics that appeal to me. I have played Crysis, and I've played Pokémon games. The graphics of the Pokémon games entertain me as much as the graphics of Crysis. I think both are beautiful. So, why is the current generation of games giving so much importance to the realism in graphic games? I think it is sufficient for a game to have objects that are recognizable. For example, while the water in some games may not look as good as in Crysis, I can still tell it's water. What are your opinions on the current direction of game graphics? Do you prefer easy-to-render 3D scenes that leave space for beautiful effects, like with Radiosity, or more complex 3D scenes that try to be realistic?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

ArenaLive, an Open Source MMOFPS
ZeXx86 writes "ArenaLive is a new open source game based on the well-known OpenArena. Its aim is to become an open-source alternative to id Software's QuakeLive. The main idea is to make a game available in your web browser. So far, the game is playable and provides player stats, straight-forward settings for your account in a web browser and, of course, loads of fun with your friends. At the moment, it is available only for 32/64bit Mozilla Firefox on GNU/Linux, however, support for other platforms and browsers is coming soon. The game is licensed under GNU/GPL2. It's still in an early development stage, so players and developers both are welcome to join."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

NASA Uses AI Customer Service Robot In Second Life
Linguo writes "Fusing human psychology with an advanced artificial intelligence engine, MyCyberTwin's virtual humans are being used by organizations like NASA and National Australia Bank to improve their customer support levels. MyCyberTwin technology is designed to allow almost anyone to build a virtual, artificial human — called a CyberTwin — which can handle such tasks as personalized customer support, client sales or even entertainment and companionship. CyberTwins can take the form of a clone of yourself, or a representative of your company, and they can live in almost any digital environment, including Web sites, virtual worlds, blogs, social network pages and mobile phones."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Roxy Reference 250 earphones with mic (yellow)
The Roxy Reference 250 earphones offer great value for the money: they are stylish, work with music phones, and include a cute case that does double duty for your MP3 player.

Acer Aspire Timeline 3810T-6415
The 13-inch Aspire Timeline 3810T largely lives up to its lofty battery claims, while keeping the chassis slim and the price down.

Onkyo TX-SR607 (black)
If you can overlook its poor analog video conversion, the Onkyo TX-SR607 offers up a ton of HDMI connectivity and excellent sound quality for a midrange AV receiver.

Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955
While it's hard to argue with a $350 laptop, the underpowered L305-S5955 is, basically, a Netbook in a larger case, with slightly better video playback.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 4189 (Core 2 Duo T7450 2.13GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Vista Home Premium 64-Bit)
Reasonably priced, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 is a style-savvy, media-friendly laptop that unfortunately lacks gaming graphics.

Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5965
For a price just north of Netbook territory, Toshiba's chunky 15.6-inch Satellite L505D-S5965 has a solid, but uninspiring, selection of specs that at least won't hinder your basic computing needs.

Oxx Digital Tube
The Oxx Digital Tube's unique design allows it to put out more bass than other Wi-Fi radios, but it takes up a lot of space, is difficult to navigate, and lacks additional music streaming services.

Ion Tailgater
The Tailgater isn't for audiophiles, but it succeeds as a great all-purpose portable speaker system with a big sound and a rugged design.

Sony Vaio FW480J/T
As an above-average Blu-ray-playing laptop with impressive looks and good under-the-hood power, Sony's Vaio FW480J/T is a solid portable multimedia machine.

Lenovo ThinkPad T400s
The T400s is the lightest 14-inch ThinkPad yet from Lenovo--just be ready to pay for the convenience.

Net Users Trust Comments as Much as Brand Reviews
Study finds that brand websites are trusted by as many people (70 percent) as consumer opinions posted online.