Apps

BRL-CAD

BRL CAD is a 3D modeling, CSG (constructive solid geometry) system. Developed by Mike Muuss, it is a complete package with tools for signal and image processing. At the same time, there is support for scripting and frame buffer as well. The vast number of tools built in mean you won’t have to install other programs for editing.

ChaosPro

ChaosPro is a freeware fractal program for Windows XP, Vista and later. Created by Martin Pfingstl, it can produce fractals in real time. Those new to fractal creation will appreciate its simple interface. Advanced users can tweak thousands of parameters to produce stunning images. For a freeware program, ChaosPro has a large number of features. As expected, it can generate Mandelbrot and Julia sets. But other fractal types like Escapetime, Attractor, Quaternion and more are supported. The application is multiwindowing, multitasking and supports an unlimited number of colors. The software is compatible with UltraFractal and FractInt.

Maxthon

Maxthon is not as well known as the other browsers, but it actually has enough features to match the others. A product of Maxthon International, it has two display modes; Retro and Ultra. Retro mode is for old websites created with legacy tools. Ultra Mode is for the latest websites. The browser uses the appropriate mode so pages display faster. There are a bunch of other extras included: ad and pop-up blockers, multisearch, autofill and drag and drop. You can do screen captures, translate languages, get feeds and take notes.

PiTiVi

Non linear video editors are hard to come by in Linux, but PiTiVi by Edward Hervey remedies that situation. Not only is it one of the few non linear video editors on Linux but it is very easy to use and feature packed, comparable to those on other systems.

Scan Pages

Scan Pages, to put it simply, adds a scanning element to your iPhone. Developed by Ricoh Innovations Inc, the app allows you to scan product labels, signs, magazines, forms, documents and more. There are a few apps like it on iTunes, but this one stands out because of its sophisticated image processing technology. Scanning is a breeze. Use your phone’s camera to take a snapshot of the document. Move the yellow dots to adjust the borders. This yellow rectangle can be used to fix distorted photos. The app is best used with documents on a white background with black text.

Bottle Shoot

Bottle Shoot is all about shooting as many bottles as you can in the fixed amount of time. The game becomes tougher as it keeps progressing. There is also a number of bonus levels in which you can break as many bottles without any obstacle in sight. Bottle Shoot is developed by Droid Hermes, they have had quite a run on Google Play, but seem to have struck the right cord with Bottle Shoot.

Buddi

Personal finance programs today have a lot of features, but they can be quite expensive. Buddi is an open source and easy to use personal finance software. Developed by Wyatt Olson, there are versions for Windows, the Mac and Linux. Note that it only runs on Mac OS X 10.4 or later. Buddi provides enough budgeting and finance functions without complicated menus and options. The tabbed interface is intuitive. You can make new accounts for savings, investments, checking and cash. You can also add a prepaid account, loan, line of credit liability and credit card.

Free Opener

One of the most frustrating things about computing is you need to open different programs to view this or that file. Imagine just wanting a peek at a file and you have to launch a large application to do it. But it’s even worse if you don’t have the program to open a particular file. That is where Free Opener becomes indispensable. It is a program designed to open a large variety of files. The software is tasked with a single purpose: view different files. You don’t have to open the format’s associated program just to view it.

Artha

For students and writers, a thesaurus is indispensible. Fortunately, Artha is a free open source thesaurus that can meet those demands. Aside from having chock-full of features, this cross-platform software can be used offline. You don’t need an Internet connection to use it. So even if your connection goes down, you still have access to the program.