Webcams can be fun. They enable you to have video chats with family and friends – no matter how far you are from each other – and also create hilarious image effects with the appropriate software. But they can also be used for more serious purposes, such as monitoring your business or your own home when you’re away. Thanks to tools like Vitamin D, you can set up your own private surveillance system in a couple of minutes and without having to invest a small fortune on it. A webcam equipped computer is enough!

Vitamin D is an easy-to-use webcam utility with motion detection technology. You can use it to monitor any given area in your office or your home, and the camera will record a short video clip every time it detects any kind of movement. We were honestly surprised by the camera’s efficiency – it detected virtually any movement we made in front of it – though not that much by its accuracy in distinguishing people from objects. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: Having the appropriate codecs is essential in order to be able to play any audio or video format. With K-Lite Codec Pack Mega you can rest assured that you have all the codecs you need on your PC, plus a bunch of interesting related tools. The latest update 5.4.4 includes the most recent versions of a handful of codecs, plus other changes and improvements.

Santa’s Run: Being the actual Father Christmas is not a job I would relish, given the amount of work the guy has to put in. However, playing the role of Saint Nick for just a few minutes can be jolly good fun, as Santa’s Run proves. The game charges you with the task of delivering presents to children across the planet. You need to throw the presents into the chimneys or doorways, using your finger to flick them in the air.

Mac: Are you frustrated by the inability to use the webcams in MSN Messenger for Mac? aMSN (now updated to version 0.98 1-1) is an alternative to the classic MSN Messenger with more features - including webcam support (but not audio) - yet a more slimline interface. The aMSN developers have delved into the preferences menu, adding extra little features like event alerts and sounds and conferencing support.

Well, just a few days after the release of Dragon Age: Origins, fans probably think that things can’t get any better. But they’d be wrong!

It’s not often you get something for nothing, but luckily the world of software is a little different. The lovely people at BioShock have brought out an additional piece of software for new game Dragon Age - Dragon Age: Origins Character Creator. As we’ve seen around the forums, the news has left some gamers cold, but the more creative among us are definitely going to have a lot of fun with the tool, which allows you to create characters to use in the PC game and upload them to Dragon Age’s upcoming social networking site for use as a (really cool) avatar. There’s even mention of an in-game bonus for people who use the tool to create characters that they later use online.

The whole creation process is really simple. You pick gender, race and class, and get creating. The really cool thing is the degree of control you have over facial features. You can tweak just about every aspect, which means that your end character will be unique and easily identifiable in the chaos of the game. When you’ve finished with your character’s appearance, you can chose a voice and a pose for what they call the profile (in reality, a small avatar). Don’t forget that every option has specific subsequent options, so have a good fiddle around with the tool so you don’t miss anything cool. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: Do you need to convert any audio or video file? Oxelon Media Converter is the perfect tool for the task. This simple app can convert multiple media files simultaneously, and it works surprisingly fast! Oxelon Media Converter supports dozens of formats and is perfectly embedded with Windows Explorer, which enables you to convert files with one click.

iPhone: Halloween is upon us once again, but if you haven’t got the money or the inclination to go trick or treating this year then check out Spooky Photo Free. This app allows you to make scary scenes out of your photographs. For example, you could put a zombie into a wedding picture, make bats appear in the sky above your house, or add a menacing pumpkin head onto an image of your dog.

Mac: Keychain on Mac does a pretty good job of managing passwords but once you’ve tried 1Password you’ll probably never look back. If you’re tired of making up passwords to access sites or worried that your passwords are not secure enough, it really is invaluable. 1Password creates strong, unique passwords for you, then remembers and restores them all within your web browser.

Tom and Elena have already explained how to stream movies from your Mac to a PS3 and an XBox. To complete the series, I’m going to explain how to stream movies from Mac to your Wii. The good news is, it couldn’t be simpler using a nifty little app called Wii Transfer. Wii Transfer not only allows you to stream movies to your Wii, but also photos, music and it even allows you to backup your Wii profiles.

Here is how to in 3 easy steps.

1. Download the Wii internet channel

Fortunately, Nintendo have seen sense and stopped charging $10 for it. The browser is now available for free. Just go to Wii Shopping on the main menu to download it.

2. Convert your videos for streaming

In the main interface, click on the “Movie” tab in the left-hand menu and drag and drop your movie files into it. Wii Transfer will then convert your films into a format the Wii can read so you may have to wait a while for this.

3. Setup sharing

Go back to the “Sharing” tab. You’ll see an IP address like: 10.0.1.197:9000. Enter this into your Wii internet browser. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: The most annoying part of getting a new computer is backing up and import browser bookmarks, but now there’s a tool that can make the task much easier! Recently updated FavBackup 2.0.0 backs up and imports bookmarks and user preferences in the most popular web browsers. The new version features a ribbon-style interface, support multiple profiles and consumes less RAM memory.

Mac: Do you hate watching dubbed movies? Prefer to enjoy films in original language with subtitles? Then install Submerge, which does a great job at merging subtitle files with your movies. It handles most of the subtitle formats, like SubRip or MicroDVD and automatically syncs them to your videos, with very little work on your part.

iPhone: Facebook has grown very quickly to become one of the most popular sites on the Web. Now you can access the service from your Apple mobile thanks to Facebook for iPhone. Adding pictures, comments and mood states can all be done easily through Facebook for iPhone. The application provides four different views of your essential data, namely: your own profile, your friends, recent changes in friends’ status and recently received messages.

I watch lots of videos on my MacBook: movies, documentaries, TV shows… but after looking at a 13-inch laptop for 2 hours you really start thinking about how much better that movie would look on a larger screen, like my own TV. The only question was, how could I transfer all the media stored in my MacBook to my TV?

The first obvious answer was buying a multimedia external drive, but I already have enough gadgets plugged to the TV and besides, I didn’t want to spend a cent on this project. Having an Xbox 360 at home, I though about the possibility of streaming video from the computer to the Xbox. You can already use the Xbox 360 to stream video to your TV via Windows Media Center, so why shouldn’t I be able to do it from my MacBook?

After a bit of googling, I found the answer in Nullriver and their awesome Connect360 utility. This little great tool is added to the System Preferences panel, under the Other section, and enables you to share your iTunes library, iPhoto albums and of course, all the contents in your Movies folder with your Xbox 360.

The program is really easy to use and doesn’t require any complicated configuration. All the options in the Settings menu are, as you can see, very simple – mainly dedicated to selecting the data you want to share between your Mac and your Xbox.

Once Connect360 is running on your Mac, switch the Xbox on and the program will recognize it immediately. Right after that, Connect360 will start indexing all the content you’ve selected to share. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows 7 is a fast, stable operating system that already includes high quality software by default. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to enjoy the advantages of  third-party apps.

Common tasks such as downloading files, chatting with your friends, creating documents or editing photos require tools that you won’t find built into Windows 7. Also, some of the tools you used before may not be compatible with Microsoft’s new operating system. This is why we’ve put together this list of 20 top free apps that work with Windows 7, with which you’ll be able to take full advantage of your brand new system.

Security comes first. There are many antivirus apps that work with Windows 7, but Microsoft Security Essentials is the one that best integrates with the system. Plus it also protects you from spyware!

Stability is another key issue. While we wait for the new Windows 7 compatible version of TuneUp Utilities, CCleaner can also do a great job cleaning, tweaking and optimizing your system.

Don’t be ashamed: we all have deleted files by mistake at some point in our lives. Fortunately we can count on this great tool called Recuva to get them back - and it works like a breeze on Windows 7 as well.

Need a password manager to deal with all your usernames, passwords, secret numbers and personal codes? Keepass is a great choice, and is also perfectly embedded in Microsoft’s new operating system.

Browsing the Web is the main activity for most computer users. Windows 7 already features the new Internet Explorer 8, but I’m sure most of you will only use it to download Firefox. Another excellent alternative is Opera. Read the rest of this entry »

Mac: Sharing your music with others is a great way to get into new music and also reveal what awesome/terrible taste you have. Simplify Media (now updated to version 2.5) is designed to help you do this with the minimum of fuss over WiFi allowing you to share music via iTunes. In effect, it means that you can enjoy and share songs with your friends wherever they are as long as you’re connected to the web.

Windows: If you’re tired of local TV, try tuning in to some foreign channels instead! With TVU Player 2.4.7.2 you can watch satellite and cable TV over the Internet on your own computer, without any special hardware. Content is very varied - from soap operas to important sport competitions worldwide - and includes channels from many different countries.

iPhone: Convertbot aims to make the process of working with different scales of measurement much easier. The app handles all manner of conversions including currency, area, volume, speed, and temperature. There are 21 different categories of units available, and you can select or deselect those that you’d like to appear in the interface using the settings menu.

Mac: If you have a firewall you can block any external application from accessing your Mac. However what can you do to monitor outgoing traffic from your Mac? Little Snitch (now updated to version 2.2 b1) informs you of all outgoing connections. The latest version benefits from a significant redesign and bug fixes, which makes the information much clearer and more accessible.

Windows: Tired of watching the same TV shows all the time? Try Zinc and see what other TV channels around the world are broadcasting! This simple Firefox plug-in adds a  nice interface to your browser for a quick, organized access to Internet TV. Besides online TV channels, you can also add media content from your own computer.

Mobile: If you’re one of those Twitter addicts who can’t bear to be away from the service, then Twikini is the Windows Mobile app for you. This free Twitter client offers a quick and straightforward way to send tweets and check what your friends are up to, while you’re on the move.

Things have come a long way since the days of Wayne’s World and now anyone can broadcast their own TV channel. In fact, I think it’s one of the truly great things about the internet than anyone can now broadcast their own content to the world absolutely free. I decided to set one up using TVUPlayer because a) It’s the best P2P TV streaming app out there in my opinion, b) The player (but not the broadcaster yet unfortunately) works on Mac and c) It has the best English language support of all the P2P TV apps out there with a thriving forum of users.

Here is how you do it. I recommend you do all of this in Internet Explorer because TVUBroadcast doesn’t work as well in Firefox for some reason.

1) Download and install TVUPlayer for Windows or Mac.

2) Sign-up for a TVUPlayer account

3) Click here to create a new channel

4) Download and install TVUBroadcast. Only Windows and Linux are available but a Mac version will be available soon. Note that on Windows, you’ll need Windows Media Encoder 9 or above to use TVUBroadcast in your browser. You should be prompted to install it automatically, but if you’re not, install it first.

5) TVUBroadcast will then open automatically in your default browser and you’ll be promoted to Sign-in to your account.

6) Go the “Source” tab at the top of your screen. You’ve now got three options to broadcast your media:

• You can capture it from a video device attached to your computer (such as a webcam or video camera)
• You can capture it from a live internet video stream
• You can upload a recording you prepared earlier but this must be in WMV format. This uploading process doesn’t work in Firefox either. You’ll just get an annoying “File error: wmv does not exist” message if you try. You should also ensure that the Bitrate of the file is as low as possible for successful broadcasting. For most broadband connections, anything below 500Mbps should work. Anything over that will probably stream very poorly.

I chose the third option by using a sample WMV file. Simply browse to the file you want to broadcast. Read the rest of this entry »

iPhone: I bet you thought the day a sheep went into Space would be the day pigs fly. Well, the sheep beat the hogs to it. Sheep Launcher Free sees you send a woolly creature soaring into the stratosphere. You launch the critter vertically with the touch of a button then must keep him airborne by tapping on him as he loses altitude. This is easier said than done because he has a tendency of plummeting towards Earth pretty quickly.

Mac: Creating screencasts is something we do a lot at Softonic so when a program comes along that makes things as easy as possible, we take note. Camtasia has been available on Windows for quite some time now but developers at Techsmith have finally given Mac users a chance to enjoy all it has to offer. The interface is sleek, the production process straightforward and recording is very flexible.

Windows: Are you looking for a feature rich music player that won’t eat your PCs resources? Trout may be the answer. This is a stripped down audio player. Tracks or folders can be dragged into its window, and playlists can be saved for later use. It accepts almost all audio formats, and even syncs with your Last.fm account. It’s a great basic music player.

Windows: Resizing a bunch of photos manually can be time-consuming, but there’s no point in using a massive editor for such a simple job. With Resize My Photos you can resize as many images as you want simultaneously, selecting several files from different folders or even complete folders in your system. Resizing is easy, and it’s very configurable. A simple little program that can really save you time and effort.

Mac: If you can’t be bothered with external applications when it comes to viewing online TV, then why not try Veetle. Veetle is a project of Stanford University that brings you hundreds of TV channels to your browser - no external application is required. The good news is that many of Veetle’s channels are useful mainstream offerings (especially for sports fans) and the streaming quality is stable and high quality.

iPhone: Personally, I’m a bit of a word game addict, so I jumped at the chance to try out TapWord on my iPhone. The game charges you with the task of finding as many words as possible from a grid within three minutes. To make words in TapWord you need to hold down the start letter then drag your finger across the letters you wish to include

Windows: Creating a media presentation with your favorite videos and photos is easier than you think with Microsoft’s Live Movie Maker. This simple yet awesome video editing tool lets you create a video in no time, including background music, transitions, animations and visual effects to spice up your images. No tech skills required!

iPhone: If you’re a fan of the Discovery Channel then be sure to install this app on your iPhone. The Discovery Channel application allows you to enjoy lots of content from the popular science and nature channel for free. The video clips are organized into categories, available by clicking the icons at the bottom of the interface.

Mac: The venerable Quake may be getting old, but ID have polished up the old engine and released it as an in-browser free online first person shooter. Quake Live is a beta version, and although extremely popular, there are always plenty of games to join. You have to register with a valid email address, but it’s pretty painless and once you’re in, a tutorial sets you up with all you need to know.

I love traveling abroad and I usually take my camera with me. That means that I have thousands of photos and videos at home, but I wasn’t not sure what the best way to share those pictures would be. After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that creating a multimedia presentation is probably the best option, and Live Movie Maker the best tool to work with.

Live Movie Maker is part of the Microsoft Live family: a basic and functional video editor with a visually appealing interface that doesn’t require any technical skills to use. Unlike other more professional video editing tools, Live Movie Maker doesn’t feature a timeline or complicated menus. Its interface is divided into two main areas (a built-in player to preview your video, and a library to drag and drop images and videos) and has adopted the characteristic ribbon interface from the latest Microsoft apps, with separate tabs for the program’s main areas: Home, Animations, Visual effects, View and Edit.

Creating a video with your photos in Live Movie Maker couldn’t be easier: after launching the program, double click the library pane or drag and dr0p media files onto it, and they’ll be automatically added to the movie. Click the ‘Add music‘ button if you want to have some nice background music, which you can later on adjust to the video length with the ‘Fit to music’ option. Other tools you can find in this Home tab let you insert titles, add credits at the end of the movie and insert text captions for each photo. A special feature that is also worth noting is ‘AutoMovie‘: it creates the complete movie automatically for you, with title, credits and crossfade transitions. Read the rest of this entry »