Jake Ludington

Editing home movies with a PC is possibly one of the greatest achievements of modern computing. Over the years, families across the globe have collected untold hours of video footage. Until digital editing became affordable, an easy way to share ... those movies didn't exist. Only a few years ago, the software and hardware required for video editing cost thousands of dollars, which didn't include additional costs for training. Prices for entry level video editing apps are now well under $100, but product quality varies greatly. One of the best and most affordable video editing apps for beginners ... (view more)

According to a recent IDC report , "more than 300 million business PCs have a combined 109,000 terabytes of data that is not backed up regularly -- which is about half of all the data on corporate PCs and laptops." That's 10 times the quantity of ... information in the entire Library of Congress! Unfortunately, I know first hand what it's like to lose important data. I never used a backup application until I had a hard drive containing hundreds of hours of writing, music, and video which all vanished in a blink of an eye. If it can happen to an "expert" computer user like me ... (view more)

Popular media outlets, like television and newspapers, latch on to new computer virus outbreaks as if the story of the millennium just broke. Journalists report that there are dangers of using buggy software from Microsoft. How do we protect our ... computers from becoming compromised? Operating System exploits and security breaches can allow Hackers unprecedented access to a PC for the sole purpose of malicious intent. Viruses can wipe out an entire computer system, and email worms can spread like wildfire in a matter of hours. Unfortunately, there aren't a set of straight forward rules one can ... (view more)

I agree with the John Cusack character, Rob Gordon, from the movie High Fidelity: "there's nothing like a well constructed mix tape, or CD!" In the same respect, applying the right finishing touches -- like a colorful label and detailed track list ... -- makes an audio CD complete. What is Acoustica CD Label Maker? Acoustica CD Label Maker is perfect for printing custom label designs for CD and DVD discs and jewel cases. Acoustica CD Label Maker: Features Import art from stock graphics or use your own graphics: A large selection of stock images come bundled with the label maker, ... (view more)

Screensavers remain a popular way to personalize Windows, despite the advent of energy saving technology eliminating the need for the screen to remain turned off while the computer is idle. Back in the early days of screensavers, the "flying ... toasters" screensaver was considered a creative innovation. Today, 3D environments, rivaling graphics from some of the best computer games available, are making an impact while the computer screen sits idle. 3Planesoft, a new screensaver company, now uses 3D graphics card technologies and takes screensavers to a whole new level. 3Planesoft makes ... (view more)

I visit dozens of web sites daily, and many of them require a username and password. I once used RoboForm to manage my passwords and form field data. Recently, I discovered a program called AccountLogon which organizes my password information and ... protects my data with 448-bit ["blowfish"] encryption -- an encryption level higher than RoboForm Pro (3DES). Side note: A higher encryption level means greater security. In short, it would take a very skilled hacker to "crack" an encrypted 3DES file, and much (much!) longer to crack a 448-bit blowfish encrypted file. What is ... (view more)

Nothing frustrates me more than having a file open with the wrong program! For example: I install a new media player or image-editing application, and the next thing I know, the program has taken over just about every file association on my system ... ... or at least, that's what used to happen. After installing "Associate This", all my files open with the application *I* want them to. What is Associate This? Associate This is a software utility for managing file associations. Associate This locks file extensions*, so the preferred application launches when you click on a file. For ... (view more)

Climbing prices for television subscription services have consumers everywhere looking for alternative ways to get their broadcast fix. CTube! delivers over 1300+ Internet television stations and Web cams, with no subscription fees and no additional ... hardware requirements. What is CTube? CTube! is an onscreen guide and interface for Internet TV. The application works with Windows Media Player and RealPlayer to broadcast content on your PC. CTube! Features No subscription fees. CTube! includes hundreds of channels without charging an ongoing fee. No additional hardware requirements. Your ... (view more)

Several "clean up" programs on the market today are designed to eliminate Spyware* and other tracking devices after a computer has already become infected. GhostSurf Pro, on the other hand, prevents Spyware from infecting a PC (before it can ever ... take place) and provides a wide array of security features which allows users to surf the world wide web with varying degrees of anonymity. Side Note: Spyware is software which records information about you or your computer usage (without your knowledge) and then relays this information to a third party -- quite often, for marketing ... (view more)

Update 02 / 23 / 2005: Registry Mechanic 4.0 has just been released. Click here to read the newest review of Registry Mechanic 4.0 (including screenshots), or continue below to read Jake Ludington's review of Registry Mechanic version 2.0. -- The ... most common cause for system instability, crashes, and performance degradation is a poorly configured or un-optimized Windows Registry. Maintaining the Windows Registry using WinGuide's Registry Mechanic can avoid erratic system behavior, while improving overall PC performance. Let's start with the basics: What is the Windows Registry? The Windows ... (view more)