Beary Fun

source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2361910,00.asp

Security

1. Ad-Aware Free 8.2
http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php
Windows
The latest version (8.2) of this venerable tool includes new tech that looks for malware patterns to ID threats, and an ultra-simple mode to automatically handle problems before you need to worry. It's free for home use; naturally, the Plus and Pro versions throw in extras, but they'll cost you ($26.95 and $39.95, respectively).
• Read PCMag's review of Ad-Aware Pro 8.1.

2. avast! Free Antivirus 5.0
http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
Windows
With a new interface that makes it easier to master, as well as a new heuristic engine for finding trouble on your PC (on top of the usual definitions), this perennial freebie continues to improve. Of course, you can pay to get even more protection via avast! Internet Security.
• Read PCMag's review of avast! Free Antivirus 5.0.

3. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0
http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage
Windows
This app is better for keeping an already clean system clean rather than rooting out problems (according to our tests), but it excels at that, even when you're running a Windows system in Safe Mode.
• Read PCMag's review of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0.

4. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.36
http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Windows
Even other security companies, such as like Norton, use Malwarebytes' software, probably because it's fast fast fast at scanning a system for problems. Thankfully, it also does a good job of cleaning up what it finds. Pay for the Pro version to get real-time protection.
• Read PCMag's review of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.36.

5. Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/
Windows
Microsoft realized the dirty truth: Windows is susceptible to viruses! And rather than try to make a buck off this fact, it's doing the right thing by putting out its own anti-malware for free to the masses. It's not great protection, but it's better than nothing. It works great with Windows, of course, in 74 countries and 25 languages.
• Read PCMag's review of Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0.

6. Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0
http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/
Windows
This is our PCMag Editors' Choice among free anti-malware software and for good reason. Half the detection action happens in the cloud (AKA, over the Internet) so you're not downloading over-sized definition files anymore. There's no update button. It's also great at finding malware. Security expert Neil J. Rubenking called it "the best free antivirus software available."
• Read PCMag's review of Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0.

7. ThreatFire 4.5
http://www.threatfire.com/
Windows
It's no longer our Editors' Choice, but we still like the fact that this heuristics-only anti-malware fighter can work side-by-side with traditional definitions-based virus killers to provide supplemental protection. It's fast and even removes rootkits.
• Read PCMag's review of ThreatFire 4.5.

8. Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/index.html
Windows
Like Panda, Trend is now using a cloud-based database of malware definitions to find problems, and requires no actual installation on your system. It doesn't run in the background (so no real-time protection), but that also means it's a great 'second opinion' to run along with other anti-malware programs.
• Read PCMag's review of Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1.

App Launchers

9. Launchy 2.1.2
http://www.launchy.net/
Windows | Mac | Linux
By adding the Mac OS to its lineup, Launchy now can be the ultimate application launcher no matter what your operating system. It helps to know a little bit about what's under the hood of your OS, but if you do, this nifty and skinnable open-source keystroke launcher can speed up your computing in a big way.

10. ObjectDock 1.9
http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/
Windows
A favorite that mimics the Mac OS dock within Windows, ObjectDock can take the place of the Taskbar, providing an animated way to interact with program icons.

11. PortableApps.com Suite & Platform 1.6
http://portableapps.com/
Windows | Portable
It's kind of a cheat to include this as a program, because PortableApps.com is a platform in and of itself; its purpose is to put all of your favorite open-source programs (many of which are in this story) on a USB flash drive, so you can use them at any PC. Think of it as putting your whole computer in your pocket, with PortableApps.com providing the backbone for launching them from a pop-up menu.
• Read more about PortableApps.com in The Ultimate USB Key.

12. Alfred
http://www.alfredapp.com/
Mac
Yes, we're showing Macs some love. Quicksilver was once the beloved app launcher (and more) for the Mac OS, but the developer hasn't done much with it. Now, there's a new option, Alfred. It does much of what QuickSilver did, from launching programs to searching the Web and contacts. And there are more features on the way.

Audio

13. Audacity 1.2
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
This open-source tool sets the bar for what you can do with audio for free. It can record anything you play on your computer and edit it in ways you can't conceive of until you start playing around. Limitations, such as no native MP3 export, are overcome by free plug-ins. If you want to podcast or mix music on the cheap, Audicity is what you need.
• Read PCMag's review of Audacity 1.2.

14. Foobar2000 1.0.1
http://www.foobar2000.org/
Windows
Want to play just about any kind of audio file you can imagine in Windows? Foobar2000 1.0.1 has you covered. Its extensive set of additional components ensures a smooth process for working with compressed files, burning CDs, and even adding Dolby 5.1 surround sound support when you listen through headphones.

15. MP3 Skype Recorder 1.9.0
http://voipcallrecording.com/
Windows
You might be shocked to learn that this software records Skype calls to MP3 format. Yeah, that's it, but MP3 Skype Recorder does it incredibly well. It even saves the call as mono or stereo tracks, with an adjustable bit rate. There are no time limits or file size limitations. It even records SkypeOut calls to regular phones or conference calls with multiple people.

Backup/Synch/Storage

16. CloudDrive 0.68
http://www.driveoncloud.com/
Windows
You get 5GB of free online storage with Adobe Acrobat Online Storage Service. Uploading and downloading from such a service isn't always easy though, especially if you want to grab a whole folder of data. CloudDrive, a free client for Adobe Acrobat Online Storage Service, lets you do exactly that via drag and drop.

17. Dropbox
http://www.dropbox.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Web | Mobile
Our Editors' Choice for cloud-based automatic file sync, Dropbox is the epitome of a set-it-up and let-it-go service. Install it on any desktop or laptop computer and all the files in your Dropbox folder appear on all systems (or on a friend's if you share a folder). It's free for up to 2GB of data synched, and that's data you can access on your iPhone or via the Web, too.
• Read PCMag's review of Dropbox.

18. DriveImage XML V2.13
http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm
Windows
Free for private use, this utility makes full "hot images" of your drives or partitions that are stored as XML files, so you can still access data on them. It works for Windows versions XP to 7, and it has a number of command-line parameters for power users.

19. DriverMax 5.5
http://www.innovative-sol.com/drivermax/
Windows
Drivers are the magic software sauce that keeps your computer hardware humming. But when you switch from PC to PC and take peripherals with you, or you just need to make sure you've got the latest drivers, what do you do? Turn to DriverMax. It will do a back-up and restore of drivers you need, or just download the latest for your (new) operating system on the same PC. Use it for Windows XP through Win7, whether it's 32- or 64-bit version.

20. Gladinet Cloud Desktop Starter Edition
http://www.gladinet.com/
Windows | Web
There's lots of cloud-based storage out there that's going to waste, even if you have accounts that provide access. Gladinet's software attempts to rectify this by giving you direct desktop access to cloud storage solutions, such as Amazon S3, SkyDrive, Box.net, and Google Docs, acting as if it's a network drive. It also has "cloud-to-cloud" backup, so your Google Docs files get backed up to some other service's online storage.

21. MozBackup
http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/
Windows
If you love your Mozilla products (i.e. Firefox, Thunderbird, Flock, Songbird, among others), then you probably use them on multiple computers. Just make sure they're set up the same, or, at the very least, that all of the data inside, such as e-mail, is stored safely. MozBackup takes care of backup and restoration.

22. MozyHome Online Backup
http://mozy.com/home
Windows | Mac
You've got lots of files that need protection, including big media files. They can take hours and hours to upload to the cloud. Let MozyHome handle it in the background. You get up to 2GB free. (More than that and you'll pay a subscription fee.)
• Read PCMag's review of MozyHome Online Backup.

23. SpiderOak
http://www.spideroak.com
Windows | Mac | Linux
SpiderOak provides 2GB of free online storage that backs up in the background. It also offers Linux support and promises "100 percent zero-knowledge privacy."

24. SyncToy 2.1
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c26efa36-98e0-4ee9-a7c5-98d0592d8c52
Windows
What Microsoft once called a "powertoy" is now a great folder-to-folder synchronization tool. It's great for backing up data from local to network storage once in a while, either manually or scheduled.

25. Syncplicity
http://www.syncplicity.com
Windows | Mobile | Web
Synchronize up to 10,000 files or 2GB—whichever comes first—on up to two computers free (you pay for more). Sign up friends and you can add another 1GB per new user recruited. What's more, Syncplicity goes out of its way to work with other cloud-based services, such as Google Docs.
• Read PCMag's review of Syncplicity.

26. Windows Live SkyDrive
http://skydrive.live.com/
Windows
Let's get serious about free storage space. 2GB is fine for documents, but it's not enough for everything you've got. Maybe you can't get enough free space in the cloud for everything, but Microsoft comes close. Its SkyDrive online storage delivers 25GB—free. The only limit: You must keep to no more than 50MB per file.

Conferencing/VoIP

47. Adobe ConnectNow
http://www.adobe.com/acom/connectnow/
Web
Part of Adobe's Acrobat.com suite of tools, ConnectNow provides you with a meeting room where you can invite up to two users to do some collaborative work. Attendees can share screens, take part in text chats, whiteboard, and video conference via webcam. The free version lets you create up to five PDF files and there is a cap on the size of files. If you'd like to invite additional attendees and get more robust conferencing features, you can upgrade to a monthly or annual plan.

48. Dabbleboard
http://www.dabbleboard.com/
Web
Dabbleboard, an online collaboration app, brings drawing and some real-time collaboration and whiteboarding to your virtual meeting. The free version lets an unlimited number of collaborators draw on the board while chatting; you can pay for a subscription to do more, such as get control over who can view and edit drawings, as well as encrypted access.

49. Dimdim 5.5
https://estore.dimdim.com/user/signup
Web
If you want to hold an online conference with people in far-flung places, and you're looking to do it for free, check out Dimdim. Dimdim lets you schedule online meetings for up to 20 people—no software installation needed.
• Read PCMag's review of Dimdim 5.5

50. Doodle
http://www.doodle.com/
Web
Continuing in the tradition of Web conferencing apps with silly names, Doodle is like the eVite of online meetings. It's easy to schedule events like conference calls and family gatherings, and you can import them into your Outlook, Lotus Notes, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook calendars.
• Read PCMag's review of Doodle.

51. ooVoo
http://www.oovoo.com/
Windows | Mac
If all you want to do is have a straight-up two-way video chat with someone else via Webcam, then try ooVoo. The free version even lets you send and receive 1-minute video messages to fellow users. You can also use it for chatting (with up to 6 people) and to send files.

52. Springnote
http://www.springnote.com
Web | Mobile
Use an OpenID, such as your Google sign-in, to access Springnote and you can use this wiki-based site for creating a personal notebook (which you can share) or a group notebook for projects. RSS feeds make it easy for members to keep up, and they can comment on pages when not fully editing the content on them. iPhone users can also access pages via a free app.

53. Skype 4.0
http://www.skype.com
Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable
Practically synonymous with VoIP and now with one-on-one free video conferencing, Skype offers its core function—PC-to-PC communication—totally free. That goes for talking to Skype users on smartphones as well. Skype has gotten so big, entire phone systems have been built to use its backbone. You only pay if you want extras, such as the ability to call landline phones or built-in voice mail, but even those are super-cheap compared to what's offered by traditional providers.
• Read PCMag's review of Skype 4.0.

54. TokBox
http://www.tokbox.com/
Web
You can video chat with up to 20 people simultaneously via webcams using TokBox. This video-based phone service also ties into your existing IM accounts to find other users (it won't call regular phones). If you'd rather not use the Web, an installable application is also available. You can check out the equally free TokBox AIR.

Comments

File Transfer/Sharing

64. BitTorrent 6.2
http://www.bittorrent.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux
The client software for the BitTorrent protocol, which makes sharing a breeze, is not as good as its competition, but it still sports fast performance across all OSes.
• Read PCMag's review of BitTorrent 6.2.

65. FileZilla 3.3.2.1
http://filezilla-project.org
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
We once mistakenly called this a Mozilla project because of its name. It's not. This free FTP client software started as a computer science project in 2001 and blossomed into an open-source staple.

66. LimeWire 5.5.7
http://www.limewire.com/download
Windows | Mac
In the days of Napster, instant file sharing was all the rage. The closest you can come to that today—and still be legal—is LimeWire. The client can access the Gnutella sharing network, as well as BitTorrent downloads and uploads. If you're willing to pay for a subscription, you get extras like anti-virus protection.
• Read more about LimeWire at PCMag.com.

67. net2ftp 0.98
http://www.net2ftp.com
Web
You may not want to start up an FTP client just to transfer one file. In fact, why use a client at all? Net2ftp is a Web app that can handle the transfer. All you have to do is give it the server, username, and password.

68. RightLoad 1.9
http://rightload.org/
Windows
This tiny FTP client does one thing: It sends files directly to pre-configured servers, with a simple right-click. It even lets you quickly throw images onto Facebook and Flickr.

69. µTorrent 2.0
http://www.utorrent.com/downloads/
Windows | Mac | Portable
Our favorite BitTorrent client (it's our Editors' Choice) is also yours, since half the protocol's users prefer it. No wonder: It's super small, super fast, and gives you all the controls you need to manage the bandwidth it uses.
• Read PCMag's review of µTorrent 1.8.4.

70. Vuze
http://www.vuze.com/
Windows | Mac
This BitTorrent client does more than BitTorrent. It's also a media player that works not just on your computer, but it serves video on a variety of other devices, including all three major game consoles, TiVo Series 3, Apple TV, iPods, and the iPhone. Yet, it remains an open platform.

Displays

55. VirtuaWin v4.2 beta1
http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net
Windows
Need more than one monitor but don't have the cash to spend? A virtual desktop might be the answer. You can have as many as nine with VirtuaWin, each found by tapping an icon in the system tray.

56. DisplayFusion v3.1.8
http://www.binaryfortress.com/displayfusion/
Windows
If you're lucky enough to have multiple monitors, and you're looking to get more from the experience, try DisplayFusion. It gives each its own unique wallpaper (with integrated search on Flickr), the ability to display more with the Titlebars at the top of each window, hot keys to move windows from system to system, and more.

Comments

File Viewers/Converters

71. Adobe Reader 9
http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/
Windows | Mac | Linux
The primary reader for Adobe Acrobat files, Reader used to be bloated and slow. Newer versions, however, are almost as fast as Acrobat-reading competitors. If you still think it's slow, use PDF Speedup (Windows only) to, well, speed it up, by deactivating unneeded extra features.

72. FoxIt Reader 3.2
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
Windows | Portable
You don't need Adobe to read Acrobat files. FoxIt Reader is a long-time popular PDF reader that is famed for having no bloat. It allows you to annotate a file, or convert all of a PDF's text directly to a TXT file.

73. FreeCommander
http://www.freecommander.com/
Windows| Portable
Tabs or dual panes are a staple of any replacement for Windows Explorer; FreeCommander sports both, plus a built-in file viewer, archive handler, multi-file renaming, file splitting/rejoining, and FTP support. And, it's portable, so you can run it from a USB flash drive.

74. IrfanView 4.25
http://www.irfanview.com/
Windows
A true classic, IrfanView (pronounced ear-fan-view) is all about viewing and converting graphics files, covering just about any graphic format you can conceive of. It even has some editing and annotation capabilities, all in a tiny 1.3MB download.

75. IZArc 4.1
http://www.izarc.org/
Windows | Portable
Open or create just about any compressed file you can think of with IZArc. Zip, RAR, and the like are a given, but it also tackles CD/DVD image files, such as ISOs or BINs (and it can convert them, too). Just drag a file onto IZArc to get started. The portable IZArc2Go runs from your USB flash drive.

76. muCommander v0.8.5
http://www.mucommander.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux
If you use multiple operating systems, you've likely wished you could access files on them all in the same manner. Try muCommander. Written in Java, it looks the same on all OSes: a simple dual-pane explorer-type app that handles file compression and comes in 23 languages.

77. PDF-XChange Viewer 2.049
http://www.docu-track.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer
Windows
PDF-XChange Viewer looks like it provides as much control over PDFs as you can get—short of buying Acrobat for a few hundred bucks. It's got a toolbar stuffed with features, from advanced navigation to markup/comments (including "rubber" stamps) to search to import/export to working with AcroForms (interactive forms). It will even password encrypt/decrypt files.

78. PeaZip 3.0
http://peazip.sourceforge.net/
Windows | Linux | Portable
Install PeaZip, right click on files uncompressed (to pick archives you can create) or compressed (to pick how best to extract the contents) via the context menu that pops up. Windows 7 users will get a cascading submenu of choices. Go into PeaZip's own interface to create settings that help you out.

79. PrimoPDF
http://www.primopdf.com/index.aspx
Windows
Nitro Software's PrimoPDF makes PDF files. It's that simple. Thing is, it does it fast via drag and drop of popular formats, including Microsoft Office (over 300 file types total).

80. Nuance PDF Reader 6
http://www.nuance.com/imaging/products/pdf-reader.asp
Windows
While PDF-Xchange crams a lot of power into a convoluted, multi-button interface, Nuance attempts similar features in a better-looking package. It loads extremely fast (at 18MB vs. Adobe Reader's 200MB, that's almost a given). Nuance will also play back embedded media in a PDF file and convert files to Word, RFT, or Excel formats.

81. xplorer²Lite 1.7.2.7
http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm
Windows
So, you've heard that dual panes and tabs are the way to go if you're looking to replace Windows Explorer? So did xplorer², which also adds folder comparison/synchronization, previews of certain file types (like TXT and RTF), and a text editor of its own.

82. XnView 1.97.2/1.70
http://www.xnview.com/en/xnview.html
Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable
We love IrfanView, but XnView goes a little farther by supporting more operating systems. It, arguably, has a prettier interface for converting the 400+ graphic file formats it supports.

83. ZamZar
http://www.zamzar.com/
Web
Don't install a thing the next time you have a file that needs converting. Zamzar lets you upload files up to 100MB. Just pick a format to convert them too, and you'll get an e-mail with a link to download it. This works for documents, images, audio, and video. You can even compress a file. If you want to upload larger files, you can subscribe for $7 a month to start.

Finance

84. 1DayLater
http://1daylater.com/
Web | Mobile
Everyone from freelancers to small businesses needs to keep careful records. This could come down to the number of minutes spent on a project, or miles traveled, and, of course, expenses. 1DayLater is all about tracking time, distance, and cash for all your projects and clients, providing a visual report of what's what.

85. Billeo
https://www.billeo.com
Windows | Mac | Web
Billeo is a combination electronic-wallet, form filler, password manager, and more. It helps make it easier to conduct financial transactions online, whether paying a bill or making a purchase. Grab the browser plug in for Firefox to get started.
• Read PCMag's review of Billeo.

86. Buxfer
http://www.buxfer.com
Web | Mobile
You don't have to store your bank data in this online money management app; Buxfer will simply synch with your downloaded bank data, if you prefer. Either way, you get an easy-to-grasp look at your financial health, with reports on what you've spent and made, as well as budgeting suggestions. Take it on the road with you via your iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile devices, too.

87. Mint.com
http://www.mint.com/
Web | Mobile
PCMag's Editors' Choice for online financial Web services is a big name now: Intuit, the makers of Quicken, bought the company, realizing this was the future of online finance. Mint gathers your banking information and spending data from all of your bank accounts, credit cards, and loans, and gives you a constant, up-to-date report on how your finances fare, with advice on how to improve things, if needed.
• Read PCMag's review of Mint.com.

88. Outright
http://outright.com
Web
Having a hard time imagining keeping your small business' finances online? Outright makes online biz bookkeeping easy, by tracking income and expenses, creating reports on that data, and then providing an overview of what you need to pay in taxes. It imports data from your financial institutions (like Mint does for your individual accounts) and partner sites, all for free.
• Read PCMag's review of Outright.

Fun/Home

89. calibre 0.6.45
http://calibre-ebook.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux
As ebooks get more popular, you need a way to keep track of them all. Calibre is gaining thousands of users each month doing just that. It sorts ebooks by title, author, rating, and more, plus you can tag them as you like. It will convert ebook formats (so you can make EPUB or PDF files from MOBI and TXT, or vice versa). It will even sync with some ebook readers if you don't use the built-in viewer to read on your computer screen.

90. Celestia
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
Travel the galaxy with this planetarium software, which uses an "exponential zoom feature" to make traveling through the stars seamless no matter the scale. If the package doesn't include the stars and celestial objects you desire, there's every chance an add-on in The Celesita Motherlode will.

91. FreeMind 0.9.0
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki
Windows | Mac | Linux
A mind map is like a flowchart/illustration/diagram of all the words, ideas, and pictures you can imagine as you brainstorm new ideas. Mind mapping software, such as FreeMind, helps get those ideas down before they slip away. It's written in Java, so it runs on all OSes, providing an interface similar to an outline on steroids to track whatever you insert as you think think think.

92. Geni
https://www.geni.com/
Web
Get ready to decorate the family tree. Geni lets you build out your genealogy and find ways to connect them with others when ancestors overlap (to do some of that connecting requires upgrading to the Pro version). You can log in with your Facebook account to share updates to the family tree with everyone you know.

93. Ibis Reader
http://ibisreader.com/
Web | Mobile
This started out as a simple work-around for iPhone users and has blossomed into a great-looking cloud-based ebook reader that you can use on a laptop or phone, including the Droid, Nexus One, and iPhone. It uses HTML5 to store books locally (though this requires 50MB of space, even on your phone). Add ePub docs of your own to your My Books shelf: You'll want them until Ibis builds out a better catalog of books.

94. Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store-ebooks-newspapers-blogs/b/ref=topnav_storetab_kinc?ie=UTF8&node=133141011
Windows | Mac | Mobile
You don't have to own a Kindle to buy Kindle-based ebooks. Amazon, smartly, created software that makes them readable on all operating systems and mobile phones with decent screens—all the better to sell more ebooks, obviously. What's nice is, with the WhisperSync tech, you can start reading on your desktop or laptop and continue where you left off on your iPhone or BlackBerry (or the actual Kindle hardware).
• Read PCMag's review of Kindle for iPhone.

95. Penzu
http://penzu.com/
Web
Dear diary, I had no idea that I could write online and be able to keep my thoughts and feelings private and secure until I found Penzu. I can even insert pictures from Flickr, share entries if I want to, and search past entries. I can get even more cool features (like customized backgrounds and AES encryption) if I want to pay $19 a year for the Pro version.

96. ReadPal 2.2
http://www.readpal.com/
Windows
If you're the type of reader that hates the screen and loves the print out, maybe ReadPal will help you save some trees. It takes your documents and formats them into easily-readable, auto-scrolling text. Or you can read in "Banner Reader" mode: A rapid sequence of words appears in the same place on the screen (it's supposed to be brain friendly). It even takes out extraneous words, so you can skim things faster. It claims it will help you read 42 percent faster. That might be a safe bet, though we can't speak to your level of comprehension.

97. Showoff.com the Visualizer
http://www.showoff.com/apps/default.aspx
Web
Gardeners rejoice and get ready to show off your green thumb. This Web app lets you upload a picture of your abode and then wrap greenery around it, without needing to build a 3D model. Imagine, ahead of time, what all that forsythia will look like around the driveway. You can even use interior shots of your house to play with furniture placement.

98. Sweet Home 3D 2.3
http://www.sweethome3d.eu/index.jsp
Windows | Mac | Linux | Web
This interior design app lets you build a 2D view of your home's floor plan, with 2D representations of furniture. Then, Sweet Home 3D gives you a 3D preview of what the room will look like. It's better than making a friend (and by friend, I mean me) help you move a couch around to find the perfect spot.

99. Timetoast
http://www.timetoast.com/
Web
Occasionally, we all need a timeline for a presentation. Timetoast lets you build extremely beautiful and interactive timelines, which can then be shared on Web pages.

Comments

Graphics

100. Artweaver 1.0
http://www.artweaver.de
Windows
This starter tool lets you digitally paint to your heart's content, without making a mess or paying through the nose.

101. Aviary.com
http://aviary.com
Web
Aviary isn't just a single graphics tool, it's a whole flock of tools for creating and editing images in the cloud. If you install a Firefox extension, Aviary can even do screen captures of Web pages, which you can then quickly edit. Brand new to the site: a full-blown audio editor.

102. Blender
http://www.blender.org
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
Open-source tools for making animated movies that rival anything out of Hollywood server farms? Yes, it's possible with Blender—and a metric-ton of hard work and talent. If you lack the latter, you can still play with Blender's serious modeling, shading, animating, and rendering tools—even if it's just a 3D stick figure.

103. GIMP 2.6
http://www.gimp.org
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
The GNU Image Manipulation Program is the ultimate open-source alternative to Photoshop; in fact it can handle just about any professional image editing and creation tasks asked of it, at a price anyone can afford. There's a separate download site if you want GIMP 2.6 for Mac OS X.
• Read PCMag's review of GIMP 2.4.7.

104. FastStone Image Viewer 4.0
http://www.faststone.org
Windows
View, manage, and edit images in all the major formats with this intuitive freebie. It supports a photo import from the hardware of a number of digital camera manufacturers, has a great red-eye removal effect, and includes a number of extras.

105. Inkscape 0.47
http://www.inkscape.org/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
There are lots of free bitmap editors and even 3D programs, but what about vector graphics? If you're looking for Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw on the cheap, check out the open-source equivalent Inkscape, which uses the open Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format for files. Check out some of the possibilities you can create with Inkscape in the Open Clip Art Library.

106. Jing
http://www.jingproject.com/
Windows | Mac
You can do more than take a picture of your screen and annotate it with Jing. The utility will also record video of what happens on screen, and it integrates ways to share your captures via IM, e-mail, or blog. Everyone who downloads Jing gets a free account for instant sharing at sister-site Screencast.com with 2GB storage. Pay $15 a year to go pro, and you can record video as MPEG-4 and record from your webcam, too.

107. Paint.NET 3.5.4
http://www.getpaint.net/
Windows
What used to be a student project is now perhaps the best available free Photoshop-esque tool . Paint.NET is fast, too, something Photoshop can seldom claim. Paint.NET, which requires the .NET framework in Windows, can also take plug-ins of its own, including one that lets it read Photoshop's own native PSD files.

108. Picasa 3.6
http://picasa.google.com/
Windows | Web
Google's Picasa doubles as an image editor and master manager of images and video that is extremely simple to use, even though it looks like nothing else you've seen. It works directly with digital cameras to download images to the master image collection; it even supports images in RAW format. Picasa's Web Albums give you an online repository for sharing your favorite pics with the world. Picasa is our PCMag Editors' Choice for consumer image organization and editing.
• Read PCMag's review of Picasa 3.5.

109. Google SketchUp
http://sketchup.google.com/
Windows | Mac
Want to build a 3D model but don't have the expertise of a Pixar artist nor the money to spend on high-end tools? Google's been providing SketchUp for people just like you for years. Check out the many video tutorials and then dive into the app, creating models of your home, office, or city—even a whole new world, if you've got time.

110. Picnik
http://www.picnik.com/
Web
This cloud-based image editor is so good, even Google took notice of it…and then bought it. For now, Picnik remains a standalone app for touching up images, which you can gather from (or save to) sites like Flickr, Facebook, Yahoo, Webshots, or Picasa. We're looking forward to seeing it integrated with Google's other online tools in the future.
• Read PCMag's review of Picnik.

111. Photoshop.com
https://www.photoshop.com/
Web | Mobile
You're not exactly going to get the full power of Photoshop in your browser window, but you get a nice subset of tools to put to work on an online library of photos at this URL. The online version offers standard editing and uploading to sharing sites. Mobile versions, like that for iPhone, give you limited cropping, rotation, and exposure modification for pics on the handheld.

112. PosteRazor
http://posterazor.sourceforge.net/
Windows |Mac | Linux
Small open-source app PosteRazor takes images from a variety of file types, rasterizes them to enlarge them without pixelation, and formats them for printing out in large formats, so that you can physically stitch them together as a poster. This could be the secret to printing a billboard of that embarrassing picture of your sister.

113. SketchPad
http://mugtug.com/sketchpad/
Web
Visit this URL and you don't sign in: you're instantly confronted with an empty palette awaiting your artwork. It's instant painting without giving away a shred of private data. Hit the save icon (a floppy disk, for those of the current generation who don't remember them) and your masterpiece shows up on a new tab in PNG format, ready to be saved with a right-click.

114. Splashup
http://www.splashup.com/
Web
Instantly launch Splashup in a new window and you'll be image editing with a full suite of controls in no time. When you're done, you can save images directly to Picasa, Flickr, and Facebook.

115. Sumo Paint
http://www.sumopaint.com
Web
Amazingly, Sumo Paint is still around: amazing because the interface is so close to Photoshop's I thought Adobe would have bought it or killed it by now. Sumo Paint has a lot to offer for a Web-based image editor, and you don't even need to register to use it for image editing. There's a downloadable Adobe Air version of the program you can run on Mac, Windows, or Linux, but that'll cost you $19 per year.

Media Manager

126. Apple iTunes 9
http://www.apple.com/itunes/
Windows | Mac
The best known music and video collection organizer, iTunes is also masterful at syncing with Apple's media products and the shopping experience of the iTunes Store (where most of America gets its music). iTunes is still PCMag's Editors' Choice in this category.
• Read PCMag's review of Apple iTunes 9.

127. CopyTrans
http://www.copytrans.net/
Windows
Getting music on the iPod or iPhone is easy with iTunes, and even a few other programs; getting music off it is another matter. In fact, it can be a nightmare. We used to recommend EphPod but that's no longer in development; the former developer suggests CopyTrans and we agree. It copies not just the files, but also the ratings and artwork, all in the right categories. The also-free CopyTrans Manager does all that and also takes over for iTunes as your media manger.

128. Data Crow 3.8.11
http://www.datacrow.net/
Windows | Mac | Linux
It calls itself the "ultimate cataloger" of media; behind the claim is the fact that Data Crow handles a wide variety digital data, tracking music, books, images, video, and even software titles and your contact list. Data Crow runs on any system that supports Java.

129. doubleTwist 2.7
http://www.doubletwist.com
Windows | Mac
Another iTunes-like interface for music that does what iTunes doesn't want to: doubleTwist synchronizes with smartphones, including those running the BlackBerry, Palm, and Android OSes. For an iTunes alternative buying option, doubleTwist offers music shopping via links into the Amazon MP3 store.
• Read PCMag's review of doubleTwist 2.6.

130. Songbird
http://www.getsongbird.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
Wishing you had iTunes for your non-Apple smartphone? Organizing audio for these devices is just one of Songbird's better features. It will play just about any music format, and even will play music embedded on a Web page; Songbird will even handle DRM files from iTunes by hooking into QuickTime. And it organizes everything in an iTunes-esque interface that's easy to understand.

131. WinAmp 5.57
http://www.winamp.com
Windows
Once the gold standard in MP3 playing on a PC, WinAmp has come a long way recently to make itself into an all around media player for audio and video. For instance, it now can sync with your iPod and other portable music players. The interface is all new, but still skinnable, one of the original WinAmp's claims to fame. Naturally, you get more with the paid version, but the free one is still a four-star product worth downloading.
• Read PCMag's review of WinAmp 5.55.

132. Windows Live Photo Gallery
http://download.live.com/photogallery
Windows
Windows Live apps are frequently items that used to come with Windows, but for various reasons they don't ship in Windows Vista and 7. Photo Gallery is such a product: a capable photo (and video) organizer that can upload images to sites across the Web. Plus, it will do some minor image editing and automatically tag people in photos for you using facial recognition.
• Read PCMag's review of Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Networking

133. Axence NetTools 4.0 Pro
http://www.axencesoftware.com/index.php?action=NTPro
Windows
Take a gander at everything going on with your network with this suite of free diagnostics. You can monitor hosts, check stats on inbound and outbound traffic, get tables of local configuration info, scan for every node on your network (even rogues), and measure network bandwidth. And that's just for starters.

134. LogMeIn Hamachi²
https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/hamachi2/
Windows
Hamachi has always been a "zero-configuration" virtual private network (VPN) connection, and the free version can instantly connect up to 16 clients at once. You don't need special software. Hamachi creates a secure tunnel between the computers for fast, safe file transfers.

135. Meraki WiFi Stumbler
http://meraki.com/tools/stumbler/
Web
Is there a browser-based tool for trouble-shooting your wireless network that works? Meraki thinks so. Its WiFi Stumbler doesn't install any software; it just discovers the access points/routers on your network and gives you all the information you need to make it work better.
• Read PCMag's review of Meraki WiFi Stumbler.

136. NetSetMan 3.0.2
http://www.netsetman.com
Windows
Windows itself might getting better, but its networking setup seems to get ever more convoluted. NetSetMan is a one-stop interface for changing all your network settings, so you can easily switch from home, work, or travel settings, and even take better advantage of multiple network connection types.

137. Wireshark 1.2.6
http://www.wireshark.org
Windows | Mac | Portable
You don't know you need a protocol analyzer and packet sniffer for your network. But you do, if you want to squeeze the most out of it. Wireshark can tell you plenty; as much as some of its for-fee competition. Throw Wireshark on a USB flash drive and you can take it from network to network.
• Read PCMag's review of Wireshark 1.2.6.

Printing

154. GreenPrint World
http://www.printgreener.com
Windows
Stop printing out wasted "ghost pages" with useless info and page flotsam. GreenPrint World offers a free utility that ties in with the Windows print dialog to stop the excess, saving you money in paper and ink (thus saving the world to boot). You can avoid advertising by paying $29, but the free version works just fine.
• Read PCMag's review of GreenPrint World.

155. PrinterShare
http://www.printershare.com
Windows | Mac | Mobile
Install PrinterShare on a PC with attached printer. Have all your friends and family do the same. Then you can print to any of them, anytime (if the PC is connect to the Internet), and everyone you know can print to your personal printer as well. All you or they need is the PrinterShare ID of the printer in question to send the job. Even iPhones and Android-based phones can print this way.

156. Xerox Mobile Express Driver
http://www.office.xerox.com/software-solutions/mobile-printer-driver/enus.html
Windows
Don't download multiple drivers for every printer you encounter in your travels. Xerox offer this freebie to let you print to any PostScript device you find on any network, not just those from Xerox. It even lets you know what devices are online.

Process Monitors

157. Autoruns 9.57
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx
Windows
No program knows more about what is autorunning (get it?) at Windows startup. Its 17 tabs show everything you can prevent from starting, even items you might not want to touch. That's why using MSCONFIG might be better for the uninitiated. But if you're brave and have the tech know-how, this is the ultimate start-up adjustment maker.
• Read PCMag's review of Autoruns 9.

158. Process Monitor 2.8
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx
Windows
Process Monitor (free, courtesy of Microsoft's Windows Sysinternals group) logs everything happening in the underbelly of your PC. Patience as you wade through that data later can pay off with surprising revelations and powerful help with Windows troubleshooting. Some expertise doesn't hurt, of course.
• Read PCMag's review of Process Monitor 2.8.

159. Process Explorer 11.33
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx
Windows
Window's Task Manager can only do so much. Process Explorer does all that and more; it even IDs running DLLs and will tell you what process opened specific files. Make this your Ctrl-Alt-Del tool of choice.
• Read PCMag's review of Process Explorer 11.

160. ProcessQuickLink
http://www.processlibrary.com/quicklink/
Windows
Uniblue's replacement for the Task Manager in Windows checks what's running against its processlibrary.com database to tell you exactly what's going on with your PC.

Remote Access

161. TeamViewer
http://www.teamviewer.com/index.aspx
Windows | Mac | Mobile | Portable
Super-simple remote access for support, access, or just a meeting is the hallmark of TeamViewer. The full version can connect with others, or wait for incoming connects. There's also a version that doesn't require admin rights. It can even run on a USB flash drive without installation. New features, such as VoIP, mean hosts can converse with clients over the remote connection. The latest addition is a free iPhone app that still displays a remote PC's full desktop quite well.

162. TightVNC
http://www.tightvnc.com/
Windows | Linux | Portable
The company's description says it all: "you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it." That makes it great for people who are constantly asked to help friends and family (even the occasional IT person) with tech woes. If you want to use TightVNC with Windows Vista/7, best to try the Beta 1 of version 2.0.

RSS Readers

163. Google Reader
http://www.google.com/reader/
Web | Mobile
The premiere RSS reader these days, Google Reader makes subscribing to feeds a breeze, displays them in an easy to view format, and makes posts in your favorite blogs and sites even easier to share via e-mail or the built-in Share feature.

164. FeedDemon 3
http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/FeedDemon/Default.aspx
Windows
A desktop app for reading RSS feeds fast, FeedDemon also knows you need to track your feeds wherever you are and thus it syncs with the view-anywhere Google Reader. Feed Demon makes it easy to tag posts for future searches, and it watches for your favorite keywords to pop up so you don't miss a thing.

Security/Encryption

168. KeePass Password Safe 2.10
http://keepass.info
Windows | Portable
You have a lot of passwords. They're not all the same. And your memory is like a sieve with particularly large holes in it. KeePass is your software vault. It uses AES and Twofish algorithms to encrypt all the passwords (and everything else) it holds for you. And it's portable, so you can put it on a USB flash drive and take it with you anywhere, storing nothing locally. If you suck at making passwords, it'll generate strong ones you can use. It doesn't integrate much with the browser, but if you use Firefox, the KeeFox plug-in takes care of that.

169. LastPass
http://lastpass.com/
Windows | Mac | Linux
We don't hand out 5-star ratings to many products, but LastPass got one last year and became our Editors' Choice for password managers. Security expert Neil J. Rubenking says it has almost every feature of the competition (like auto-filling in browser forms), as well as a few unique tricks of its own. Your info is stored securely online, so you can share it across operating systems (and, if you're willing to pay a $1 a month, with your mobile smartphone) and integrate with multiple Web browsers (IE, Firefox, and Chrome at the moment, plus Safari on the Mac).
• Read PCMag's review of LastPass.

170. TrueCrypt
http://www.truecrypt.org
Windows | Mac | Linux
Open-source TrueCrypt creates a virtual disk for your most important data which it then encrypts, or you can just encrypt an entire drive or partition, even the one on which Windows is installed. The strength is AES-256 and it's automatic, happening in real-time when files are saved.

System Utilities

177. Advanced SystemCare Free v3
http://www.iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html
Windows
Formerly WindowsCare Personal, with this app you're just one-click away from making your computer work better and faster.

178. Auslogics Disk Defrag
http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/
Windows
Even today, it's a good idea to occasionally defragment the files on your hard disk to keep performance up. This utility does it with intelligence for all types of file systems on Windows XP up to Win 7; it even merges bits of free space, doing its work automatically when the computer is idle. A separate tool runs the defrag as a screen saver when you walk away, so you can track the progress.

179. CCleaner 2.29
http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Windows
Don't be upset that Windows occasionally needs a sweeping out. CCleaner will take care of that, and it can optimize your PC at the same time. It looks individually at Web browsers and other third-party apps, plus the Windows registry, seeking out the crap (that's what the first "C" is for) slowing down your OS.

180. Disk Space Fan
http://www.diskspacefan.com/
Windows
Just what your hard drive holds doesn't have to be a mystery, nor does it have to be ugly. Disk Space Fan displays the usage in a fancy, fan-like graph after a speedy scan. Click a fan and you'll drill into the nitty-gritty of what those sectors hold.

181. Eraser 6
http://www.heidi.ie/eraser
Windows
Eraser 6 does what the delete key and emptying the Recycle bin can't. It ensures every little bit of information on your hard drive is obliterated—without destroying the drive physically—before you give it, or the entire computer, away.

182. EULAlyzer
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/eulalyzer.html
Windows
Do end user license agreements (EULAs) make you nervous? You're not alone. Luckily, we've got EULAlyzer to take a look at these "contracts" to tell you about the hidden pitfalls that might be installed, restrictions on what you can do with it, even what the privacy policies are at Web sites you sign up for. What you do with the advice it gives is up to you.

183. Glary Utilities 2.21
http://www.glaryutilities.com/
Windows | Portable
This "all-in-one" utility does pack in a lot, from cleaners for disk, registry, shortcuts, and old programs; to optimizers for memory and the registry; to privacy tools like a file shredder and undeleter. It's even got some system tools, such as a process manager. Run it on any system from a USB flash drive.

184. Kiwi
http://drinkprog.com/kiwi/
Windows
Do you need help tracking your apps? Kiwi can help. This monitor will alert you when Windows apps do preset things like go over their memory use, or even just stop or start in the background. You can tell Kiwi to close or open a program when certain events take place, or to launch another app when one starts or stops. The possibilities are almost endless.

185. PC Decrapifier 2.2.1
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com
Windows
Brand-new PCs are pristine examples of perfect operating system performance, right? Ha! Buy a name-brand computer and you'll likely find it filled with shovel-ware and other crap that the manufacturer is paid to include. Before you try to do any serious computing, run PC Decrapifier and it will delete a lot of the pre-installed junk you'll never, ever need.

186. Revo Uninstaller 2.1.5
http://www.revouninstaller.com
Windows
An uninstalled program in Windows is seldom completely gone. Revo Uninstaller goes the extra mile to make sure it's all gone. A lot of the best bits are now part of the Pro version ($39.25), but there's still more cleaning with the free Revo than you'll get with any program's built-in uninstall routine.

187. Speccy
http://www.piriform.com/speccy
Windows
If there's something you don't know about your PC but want to—like how much RAM you have and who made it, the type of CPU on the motherboard, etc.—Speccy will tell you, in far more detail than you can easily find via Windows.

188. UltraDefrag 4.2 RC4
http://ultradefrag.sourceforge.net/
Windows
If you prefer the open-source side of the freebie aisle, UltraDefrag is the one to get when you want to improve drive performance by defragmenting files strewn across the platter. It even handles Windows boot time files and can shut down Windows after a defrag runs (because that can take a while), yet it is optimized to do the job as quickly as possible.

189. VirtualBox 3.1.4
http://www.virtualbox.org
Windows | Mac | Linux
You can get more features with a full commercial virtualization program like VMware or Parallels, but try to beat the price of VirtualBox, which lets you run just about any other operating system you can imagine within any other OS. They all have to support x86 chips. Shared folders mean you can access the same files on the host OS or the virtual OS; the same goes for USB devices.

Video

190. CamStudio
http://www.camstudio.org
Windows
Ever thought what you do on a computer screen was worthy of being made into a movie? CamStudio will make it so, recording all your on-screen actions—even audio to accompany it—and it can turn the whole thing into an AVI or SWF for streaming via Flash.

191. Handbrake 0.9.4
http://handbrake.fr/
Windows | Mac | Linux
Got a DVD you want to back up to your hard drive (which you'll only do if you own it so it's legal, right)? The open-source and cross-platform Handbrake will do this for you on any OS. What's more, it can convert video from the DVD, or any other digital video on your hard drive, into other formats more useful for playback.

192. Miro 2.5
http://www.getmiro.com
Windows | Mac | Linux
Version 2.5 of Miro stresses that it's an open-source HD video player and podcast collector; it gathers new episodes of shows instantly. Miro pulls HD versions when available, even from sites like YouTube, and a BitTorrent client and RSS reader is built in. Since it can download the videos it manages and plays, with Miro you can take your shows on the road when you don't have Internet access.

193. Pencil 0.4.4b
http://www.les-stooges.org/pascal/pencil
Windows | Mac | Linux
The flip-book animation of the modern age is on the computer. Open-source Pencil makes it simple for any hand-drawing 2D animator, beginner or experienced, to get going on some future Oscar winners.

194. TeleKast 1.0.0.14 alpha
http://telekast.sourceforge.net/
Windows | Linux
If you're ready to start reading on camera, or even just for audio, you can get some help from a teleprompter. That's expensive, but TeleKast isn't. You create the script, feed it to TeleKast, and the app displays your lines in an easy-to-read scroll so you won't stumble once.

195. VLC media player 1.0.5
http://www.videolan.org/
Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable
No frills video and audio playback on any OS that works with just about any media format you can imagine (including DVD but not Blu-ray)? That's what VLC media player is all about. It can even stream media, both live from a mic or Webcam, or using pre-recorded files. VideoLAN's Wiki will take you through this programs powerful feature set.
• Read PCMag's review of VLC media player 1.0.5.

196. Windows Live Movie Maker
http://download.live.com/moviemaker
Windows
It used to come with Windows XP; now Movie Maker is part of Windows Live Essentials, so you download it separately for Vista or Windows 7. This is a completely new program and ties in tightly to other Live components like the Live Photo Gallery. Another sign of Movie Maker's relative modernity: it uses the "ribbon" interface introduced with Microsoft Office 2007. For easy Windows video editing videos, it's hard to beat.
• Read our Hands-On with Movie Maker in Windows 7

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