Recommend software you find

[Andrew]

So, I'm sure we all come across handy software for this and that every now and again. This is a thread to mention anything you find or perhaps ask for recommendations.

Working on a couple of things today, I stumbled across Instant Eyedropper, a pretty handy (and free) tool for web and graphic design. A quick and easy way to get the hex code of a colour anywhere on your desktop. Figured some others around these parts could find a use for it.

[JaoSming]

for converting videos and downloading from YouTube (and other sites)
Freemake Video Converter

For creating mixes and other videos
VideoPad

both free, both do the job quite well

[Andrew]

I'm definitely a fan of Freemake since you recommended it to me a while back, so I'll second that suggestion.

[Dc311]

I have to check those out.I have been downloading videos from Youtube with RealDownloader.I never could find a good free video converter though.Thanks.

[dare]

Hiren, really help me a lot when troubleshooting a computer.

[Andrew]

Just had a look at Video Pad, well recommended.

[[Q]]

i have illustrate's poweramp music converter to convert itunes songs to mp3 and to lower the bitrate of mp3s to put on my mp3 player.

[JaoSming]

I have yet to bring over my nusic library to my freshly formatted computer. What program should I use to listen to music? Preferably, something that will look at my missing genres and year released fields and fill them in, but having the program be lightweight so I can run it behind games is key.

[benji]

foobar2000

[RedPhazon8]

Freemake also has a free audio converter too, so they give you a good combo of stuff to work with.

[Andrew]

Genie Timeline (Free Version)

Not completely satisfied with the version of WD Smartware that came with my WD My Passport and not at all impressed by the performance of the latest version, I discovered a link to it on the WD forums as a free alternative for streamlining and automating backups. So far, I'm quite impressed.

[Andrew]

For those who don't require multiple versions of files in their backups and just want to quickly and easily back up files to an external hard drive: FBackup

[Nick]

Does anybody know of any free spreadsheet programs (i.e. excel) for mac?

[shadowgrin]

http://www.openoffice.org/

[Nick]

Ah, noice. Cheers 'grin.

[JaoSming]

I have 1 final paper left, and it's been driving me nuts. Baby, family issues, work stuff, it has not been an ideal week for my final finals for this degree.

Headphones + http://www.ommwriter.com/ = 16 pages of free writing in 2 and a half hours, which is maybe an hour or two of source finding and cleaning up away from me being done with my last final.

Basically it creates a txt file with what you write, no formatting. It plays calming music and a subtle sound effect with each keystroke. I love it.

[Andrew]

Interesting, though I reckon I'd find that just as distracting.

[benji]

Find out what folders (like say...Steam games) are taking up the most space: http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/

Download from YouTubes and crap: http://www.ytddownloader.com/

Better codec pack for x64 apparently: http://shark007.net/

[Andrew]

Ah, good stuff.

[JaoSming]

Find out what folders (like say...Steam games) are taking up the most space: http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/

Was just about to find a program like that today Thankyasir



For another program, FFSplit http://www.ffsplit.com/
Makes Streaming on Twitch.tv nice and simple, desktop capture simple, but it doesn't work well with full screen games. Gotta run windowed games though.....


So ShiftWindow http://grismar.net/shiftwindow/
Makes games full screen but technically still a window. Basically just resizes and positions windows.

[deihatein]

Find out what folders (like say...Steam games) are taking up the most space: http://www.uderzo.it/main_products/space_sniffer/

Nice . Managed to find some virus taking most of the space because of this.

[Leftos]

Same lines as Space Sniffer, my favorite, Spacemonger: http://www.sixty-five.cc/sm/

[Dc311]

Has anybody tried this browser Maxthon?


http://www.maxthon.com/

[benji]

If for some reason you need to have Java installed, this seems like it'd be really handy: http://singularlabs.com/software/javara/

And even so if you want to get rid of it.

Same site has a CCleaner plugin thingy that adds a ton more programs: http://singularlabs.com/software/ccenhancer/

This is kinda interesting though I haven't installed any of its recommendations, might do it on the laptop since I enjoy abusing its Windows install by running every dumb cleaner or defragger or whatever (Ubuntu is primary and Vista install is just for any potential gaming), but apparently finds all the latest driver updates for your hardware through crowdsourcing/cloud database: https://www.slimwareutilities.com/slimdrivers.php
And from the same folks, a crowdsourced CCleaner type deal: https://www.slimwareutilities.com/slimcleaner.php

And to update Grin's old response to this for the now superior replacement for OpenOffice:

Does anybody know of any free spreadsheet programs (i.e. excel) for mac?

http://www.libreoffice.org/

Not just Mac...also Windows and Linux.

Unless you're editing Live's DBF's. Then don't go past OpenOffice.org Calc 2.2.1. (Or just install them along side each other.)

And since I originally posted a Windows YouTubes downloader, if you're on Linux, MiniTube. Although it has some silly design decisions, actually downloads at full speed and will always grab the highest resolution version if you tell it to...unlike some unnamed programs... (This is also on Windows and Mac, but only free on Linux I believe.)

[Leftos]

I'm using Jing for screenshots. It has automatic window detection with capture preview, so you know exactly what it's going to grab. You can either let it detect the window you're grabbing, draw a rectangle, or grab the desktop. Then, it gives you some basic editing tools, and allows you to save to disk or automatically upload to Screencast.com. Really nice free utility.