Brandon Dimmel

Despite fresh hardware designs and a completely new mobile operating system , Canadian smartphone company BlackBerry is still having trouble selling its devices south of the 49th parallel. That's why several retailers have now drastically reduced ... the price of the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. According to reports, Amazon.com and major electronics retailer Best Buy have both slashed the price of the BlackBerry Z10 -- a touchscreen device that resembles the iPhone -- to $49 with a two-year contract. The device, which went on sale just four months ago, originally cost $199 with a contract. ( ... (view more)

Microsoft is hoping to increase consumers' trust in its new Windows Store by unveiling a strict policy for uploaded apps. According to the firm, it will remove any applications that it finds may be vulnerable to hackers. Specifically, Microsoft says ... that any apps with critical security vulnerabilities will be placed on probation for 180 days (though Microsoft admits that this window could be extended in special cases). If the app's maker has not fixed the problem within that time period, Microsoft says it will remove the app from the Windows Store. (Source: windowsitpro.com ) In ... (view more)

On Thursday Microsoft unveiled its long-rumored restructuring plan , which will involve breaking Microsoft divisions into two major categories: devices and services. The restructuring plan also involves giving additional powers to a short list of ... talented managers. "Going forward, our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most," noted Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer in his announcement about the plan. The ... (view more)

Xinorbis 6.0.24 Using this program you can carefully analyze all of your hard disks and receive vital information pertaining to each of your stored files. Users are presented with a series of sophisticated graphs, tables, and tree displays that ... clearly convey desired information. http://www.xinorbis.com IrfanView 4.36 This freeware graphics viewer program is small, compact, but also incredibly innovative. It provides you with a wide range of options when editing your favorite images. Irfanview is compatible with all versions of the Windows operating system. http://www.irfanview.com This ... (view more)

Outsourcing has become a popular way for big companies to save money. One example: offering 'bug bounties' that encourage independent researchers to help prevent security nightmares. According to a new study completed by University of California ... Berkeley researchers, it's far cheaper for technology firms to use these freelance security experts than expand an existing in-house security team. The study examined the bug bounty programs (otherwise known as vulnerability reward programs, or VRPs) used by two of the Internet's biggest firms: Google and Mozilla, makers of the Chrome ... (view more)

WhoCrashed Free Home Edition 4.02 System crashed? Find out what caused the problem with WhoCrashed Free Home Edition, version 4.02. With just a single click WhoCrashed provides you with a list of drivers that could be responsible for causing a ... crash. http://www.resplendence.com Network Monitor II 18.3 Keep tabs on your network with Network Monitor II. This program shows you important information about your wired or wireless Internet connection, including speed, signal strength, and download / upload progress. http://www.myfavoritegadgets.info This freeware software program is brought to you ... (view more)

Want to access a service that requires an email address but don't want your inbox bombarded with annoying spam messages? Then you may be interested in disposable email address service 'MailDrop'. In essence, MailDrop gives you access to a throwaway ... email address. That's a useful tool for scenarios where you want to try out a new service or learn information about a program or product but don't want to receive a plethora of unnecessary spam emails. MailDrop is especially useful in situations where accessing a program, product, or service requires you send a confirmation message via email. ... (view more)

A new report finds that one of the web's most popular ad-blocking browser extensions, AdBlock Plus, has allowed some advertisers to pay money in order to circumvent the software's blocking feature. If you're not familiar with it, AdBlock Plus is one ... of the Internet's leading ad blocking programs. It's available for several different web browsers, including Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, and Opera. Previously, Mozilla has said that AdBlock Plus is both its most-used and most-downloaded browser extension. Not All Advertisers Treated Equally Once installed, the open source program ... (view more)

It's been five years since Apple launched its popular App Store. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Cupertino, California-based firm is giving away free applications and games. Apple's App Store originally launched in 2008 (shortly after the ... release of the iPhone) with roughly five hundred different applications. Today, the App Store is approaching one million apps. Earlier this week Apple unveiled a new section of its App Store displaying five free apps and five free games for the iPhone and the iPad tablet computer. (Source: latimes.com ) Typically each of these apps / games costs a ... (view more)

xShredder 5.0 Worried that those sensitive files you just deleted can still be recovered? Then check out xShredder, which permanently 'shreds' any file you don't want anyone else to see -- ever! This tool is available through Sourceforge.net. ... http://sourceforge.net IZArc 4.1.8 Ever receive a file that just won't open? Then you need IZArc, which can download and unzip virtually any type of file. This program gives you access to a wide range of features, including Windows Explorer drag-and-drop and zip archive repair. http://www.izarc.org This freeware software program is brought to you by ... (view more)