portability

When we reviewed Bopsoft's Listary, we called it "unobtrusive but unusually useful, which is ideal in file management software." The same applies to Listary Portable, a totally portable version of this flexible freeware. Like the installed version, Listary Portable accesses your most important files, documents, favorites, and programs from numerous angles, including pop-up menus, hotkeys, mouse middle-clicks, and even the command line. Like the installed program, Listary Portable is free for private, noncommercial use. A registered version, Listary Pro, is available for commercial users.

Since the portable version of Listary runs without having to be installed, you … Read more

It's all too easy to delete critical files accidentally, though viruses, uninstallers, and running programs can also delete data you'd prefer to keep. When you delete files and folders in Windows, they go either to the Recycle Bin or, if they're very large, are deleted directly, bypassing the Recycle Bin. But deleted data isn't really gone until it's overwritten, and even then it's sometimes possible to recover data. While forensic labs use expensive equipment and software to recover deleted data, there's a free tool that can recover deleted data from hard drives, flash … Read more

When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, small is hot. We have Jawbone and all the marketing it put behind its Jambox partially to thank for that. With its rechargeable battery and impressive sound for its size, the Jambox showed how you could take a tiny portable speaker and pair it with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to create a mini wireless stereo system just about anywhere you were.

But some folks don't want to drop $150 to $175 on a portable speaker, which is why I've put together this list of less expensive alternatives. We'll be reviewing more inexpensive portable Bluetooth speakers as the year goes along and we'll continue to update this list as we listen to new products and earlier models we might have missed.… Read more

Junk food threatens your health, doctors say. Junk files threaten your computer's health in much the same way, by clogging up its data arteries with useless deposits that slowly strangle its performance. In both cases, exercise is crucial to maintaining the health of the overall system. Luckily, keeping your system fit and trim is easy, thanks to system cleaners like The Web Atom's System Ninja Portable. This portable freeware scans your computer for the digital equivalent of fatty deposits, such as temporary files and browser histories, and cleans them out, helping your system to run more like it … Read more

Our computers hold traces of our most sensitive activities, from managing our finances to looking for love. If you'd like to tidy your electronic house and get rid of the evidence of your activities, try Xleaner Portable. It's not the most intuitive program we've ever used, but it does provide a comprehensive set of features for cleaning your computer of sensitive data.

The program opens with a screen displaying the tasks that are currently enabled, including cleaning the computer search list, the Windows clipboard and temp folder, the Internet Explorer history, and many other areas. The Manage … Read more

Maxthon is one of the "other" Web browsers out there. Once upon a time, that meant permanent obscurity, but these days, it's where you go to find the Next Big Browser. Maxthon is an attractive and up-to-date browser that offers some unique features, such as its powerful Ad Hunter, a flexible MultiSearch tool, conveniences such as Night Mode, and easy management of user names and passwords. It supports both the Trident and WebKit rendering engines. Unlike most so-called alternative browsers, it's not a repackaged clone but is built on the MyIE source code. We recently tried … Read more

Most of us are used to opening PDF files with a special viewer, be it Acrobat Reader or something else. But what happens when you have other files that require special viewers? Are you supposed to just keep cluttering up your hard drive with new programs? STDU Viewer Portable is a document viewer that can handle not only PDF files, but a variety of other common and uncommon file types.

STDU Viewer Portable looks just like many other document viewers, with a set of menus across the top and a toolbar just below. We were impressed with the number of … Read more

Death and taxes are the only thing certain in this life. And when it comes to cell phone taxes, the fees just keep climbing.

Most wireless subscribers are annoyed by the extra taxes and fees slapped onto their monthly wireless bills. But few likely realize how different the rates can be based upon where they live. Not only can states impose taxes on wireless service, but so can local governments. And many do.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain how simply moving to a new part of the country can lower a subscriber's cell phone tax rate, … Read more

Finally, a way to put that boiling pot of water to some good use besides making a box of mac and cheese.

The PowerPot is a Kickstarter project that looks to heat things up by adding the ability to charge gadgets while the pot is over a heat source. The heat source can be an open fire, a camping stove, or even a natural hot spring. What is important is that the liquid inside the pot is colder than the heat source. It is this temperature difference that is used to generate the energy necessary to power small gadgets.

The … Read more