free

Color Splash Life Free is a very easy-to-use app that can create very attractive photos from your photo library or camera. The app is well executed and easy to use, making for a quick and easy filter that will transform photos in your library with a few quick taps.

If you've ever seen a black-and-white photo with a small sliver of color added to it, you know exactly what Color Splash Life is designed to do. When you open the app, you'll be given a stock black-and-white photo. Choose a brush size and you can move your finger … Read more

Combine a touch screen and a basic music app and you can do some pretty incredible things. That is the thinking behind Beat Pad, a free app for the iPhone that features 12 evenly-spaced pads that produce a variety of different beats. The goal of the app is simple enough--provide an easy-to-use beat pad that you can take on the go with you anywhere. While the limitations of the app are certainly an issue, the fun of the interface is enough to make it a good download for any beat boxing or DJ hopeful.

The app is as rudimentary as … Read more

Colors Pro Free promises all kinds of features to take your photos up a few notches. The problem? You can't use any of your own photos unless you want to pay to upgrade. So the "free" part comes at a price.

Colors Pro Free opens with a black-and-white stock photo of a hot air balloon. A pop-up appeared letting us know that if we wanted to load custom images to edit, we would have to pay to upgrade. So we were stuck with the balloon. The app doesn't feature much in terms of editing tools. It … Read more

Users who lack or do not like using the editing program that comes with their Mac need additional options for working with their videos. VideoPad Free Video Editing Software for Mac works well for basic editing and has many features that would be expected from advanced programs.

Installation of VideoPad Free Video Editing Software for Mac requires the acceptance of a detailed user agreement. During startup, the user sees a list of additional programs they can install if they choose. A Web browser toolbar is the only one that is highlighted by default, so users should pay attention before moving … Read more

Crackle for iOS provides completely free streaming of television shows, movies, and other video content. Sure, it's ad-supported, and programs are occasionally interrupted by commercials, but considering the amount of content available, it's still worth it. The only problem is that none of it is in HD.

If you've used Netflix or HBO Go, then you'll probably notice that Crackle's user interface is similarly simple and intuitive. The Home screen starts you off with featured content, while the main navigation buttons on the bottom lead to pages with Movies, Shows, and your personal Watchlist. Content … Read more

Technology doesn't just complicate our lives, it also does a number on our deaths.

Imagine the challenge of accounting for all of your digital assets once you've shuffled off to Buffalo. Even if you consider your e-mail, text messages, and social-media posts disposable, you've probably stored photos, videos, and very personal documents on one or more Web services. You probably want to bequeath some or all of these items to family and friends.

If you run an online business, ensuring a smooth transition in the event of your demise becomes even more important. To ease the burden … Read more

Jukebox Free is designed to provide a free and easy tool for creating playlists and running them on your iPhone without accessing the music app. It has limited features to do so, however, and because it doesn't interact with the Music app directly, there are issues with DRM that severely limit its usefulness.

The interface for Jukebox Free is easy to use. It opens with a blank screen and a play bar at the bottom. To add music, you press the + button in the top- left corner and it will go to your Music app and start pulling songs … Read more

If your child can't put down your smartphone or tablet, it's good to have an array of fun but educational games on retainer. Kids Learn n Play (Free) is designed to help them learn their ABCs, but it's not as deep or polished as other learning games on Android and there are a few other issues that detract from its ability to help your kids learn the alphabet or spelling.

There might be an initial moment of confusion because the app shows up as "English Alphabet" in your phone's app launcher. It has two … Read more

The touch screen interface of the iPad and iPhone makes the devices perfect for any game that asks you to flick, slide, or push something around the screen. From bowling and soccer to skee ball, there are dozens of extremely simple apps that are instantly addictive for this very reason, and Arcade Hoops Basketball is definitely one of them.

The premise of Arcade Hoops Basketball is very straightforward. Like an arcade game that gives you a minute to shoot as many baskets as you can, the app provides you with four balls that you can shoot however fast you want. … Read more