I Love Free Software

Free Desktop Screenshot Software: ScreenSnag
Create your own To-do-list Event Calendar with MCTA Desktop Calendar
XnView Retro: Give Vintage Effects To Photos On Android
Free Bike Racing Game for PC: Superbike Racers
Free Sync Tool to Sync Large Media Libraries: Media Library Sync
Free Software To Delete Empty Folders
Free Windows Dock and Application Launcher: sTabLauncher
Convert Videos to Various Formats: Best Video Converter

Free Desktop Screenshot Software: ScreenSnag

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT

ScreenSnag is a free desktop screenshot utility which you can use to create snapshots of not only the entire desktop, but also windows and rectangular areas of varying sizes. Screenshots can be made by either clicking with your mouse, or you can create them the old fashioned way by using keyboard shortcuts, which can be changed according to your needs in the Global Hotkeys settings window.

Interface of ScreenSnag no doubt reminds you a little bit of Google Chrome, the window border at least, but also the buttons contained inside. As you can see there are three steps that you need to go through before clicking on Capture. In these three steps you’ll configure everything that needs to be configured for a screenshot, starting with the input area and ending with snapshot captions. Before we get into the specifics of how ScreenSnag works, here’s a quick overview of what it has to offer:

Three different input areas – fullscreen, window, rectangular area
Saving screenshots to files automatically or to the clipboard
JPEG, BMP and PNG formats for saving supported
Timer – for creating automatic screenshots in assigned intervals
Image scaling, captions, border editing

These are just some of the more interesting features that ScreenSnag has to offer. When you install the application, it will start running right away in the system tray. To access the window which can be seen on the image above, you’re gonna have to left click the tray icon of the program to call it up.

Similar software: Image to Link, WinSnap, Screen Shot.

How to create screenshots with ScreenSnag

Creating screenshots with ScreenSnag isn’t a very difficult process. If you’ve started the application, start the first step by setting up what kind of screen grab exactly you’ll be making, is it gonna be fullscreen, window or rectangular area.

On the image above we are creating a screen grab of a window. When the window is selected, additional options become available where you can turn on transparency, if you so wish. The next step in the snapshot setup would be the Output section where you can choose if the screenshot is gonna be saved in a file or to the clipboard. Options portion of the ScreenGrab is the most interesting because is offers you the ability to add captions, borders, to scale the image, if for example you have a FullHD monitor and would like to create your screen shots. When you’re ready hit capture and the window that you have opened should look like this.

Conclusion

As you can see when creating screenshots where the window is taken, you’ll have guides which can be placed on the entire window, only the work area, the file location, basically any square, even the entire desktop. With the Rectangular area you get a useful area indicator with pixel size, so that you can create precise screenshots. ScreenSnag is very simple to use, you can use it for example when you want to create tutorials, for showing your readers how something looks like, like what we are doing here.

Free Desktop Screenshot Software: ScreenSnag was originally published at I Love Free Software

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Create your own To-do-list Event Calendar with MCTA Desktop Calendar

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT

MCTA Desktop Calendar is a free utility so that you can create your own event calendar so that you perform all your important tasks without forgetting them. This software utility allows you to create your to-do-list and display it on the desktop so that you perform all your tasks without the risk of forgetting them. Gone are the days when you would create a list in a diary and carry it with you to make sure that you finish all your tasks. In addition, you can customize everything as per your choice, to make the interface more impressive and intuitive.

Changing settings to customize the interface

As you can see in the above snapshot, we tried playing with colors and changed the settings to make the interface impressive so that it matches the background. This has nothing to do with the functionality of the program, but just to make it catchy, so that you do not miss out any important event. Besides, you can also change the width and height of the calendar.

Changing settings is simple and all you need to do is right click on the top left corner. A drop down menu is displayed where you need to choose 'Favorite Settings'. This will open a window where you can set colors for different components including grid, title background, day background and lots more.

Creating events

With MCTA Desktop Calendar, you can create events in just a few clicks. Click on a particular date to add the task.

In the snapshot above, you need to complete the respective fields to create a particular event. Adding a new entry is simple and can be done by hitting '+'. If you have already added any entry, then you can edit the details or even delete an event.
In case of a new event, you will have to complete the event details.

As you can see, you have lots of options and accordingly you can create your To-do-list!

This is a basic To-do-list event calendar which we created. Of course, you can add more events to your list!

Verdict

MCTA Desktop Calendar has a very compact size of 1.34 MB. Hence it won't consume a lot of space. You can customize it as per your choice to make the interface impressive. Using this software utility is simple and you won't have any issues trying it out. So if you are finding it hard to keep a track of all the important tasks you need to perform in a day, then try it out. The requirements are also minimal and the software works well on Windows operating system and .Net framework 3.5 or higher. An important aspect of this software utility is that you can also create a backup of your database and restore it as and when required. The database is stored with .mta extension. Hence with this software, you can try some interesting features in addition to the basic functions which most of the event management utilities offer.

Download MCTA Desktop Calendar for free!

Create your own To-do-list Event Calendar with MCTA Desktop Calendar was originally published at I Love Free Software

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XnView Retro: Give Vintage Effects To Photos On Android

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 12:30 PM PDT

XnView is a free Android app to give Vintage effects to photos on Android. This Android vintage photo app is a nice app that lets you add nice vintage effects to photos to make them look older.

The app lets you import photos from your Android's gallery or you can also take photos from your Android's camera. The app provides multiple vintage effects. Moreover, this Android vintage photo app also provides multiple frames to embed in photos along with the vintage effects.

I liked the app because of its simplicity. The app provides one of the simplest interface as compared to other vintage photo apps.

Like XnView Retro app, we have also reviewed XnView Sketch app to convert photos to sketch on Android.

Using both these apps, you can convert your photos and create your own masterpiece to share them on your social networks. Let your friends know how creative you are with your Android phone.

Of course, XnView Retro App is not the only app in Android universe that provides vintage effects. Some other apps that we have already reviewed for this include: One Man with a Camera, FX Photo Editor, and the billionaire app Instagram for Android.

Why I Like The App?

XnView Retro app for Android gives vintage effects to photos. Now, the good part of the app is that the app specializes in converting photos to older style. Staring from photo effects to photo frames; all the features of the app are concentrated on giving vintage effects to photos. On top of it, the app is so simple to access and manage that any layman or new Android user can easily use the app on his/her Android phone.

Features Of XnView Retro App To Give Vintage Effects To Photos:

Give vintage effects to photo: be it a new or any old photo.
Import photos from Android photo gallery or take a new photo from your phone's camera and give effects in real-time.
Provides multiple vintage effects which include Retro 1,2,3,4,5, and so on.
You can save and share the created masterpiece in 3 different sizes which include small, medium, and large.
Clicking on sharing menu brings up the standard sharing options which are available in your Android phone.
Provides multiple photo frames to add.
Control brightness, contrast, and saturation of photos.
Simple and user-friendly interface.

Install XnView Retro:

Download and install XnView Retro app from Google Play Store. You can even scan the QR Code below with a Barcode Scanner app.

The goal of XnView Retro app is to make your photos look old and upload and share them with your friends through social networks and emails.

This app makes it easy to add nice vintage effects; without requiring advanced photography knowledge.

XnView Retro: Give Vintage Effects To Photos On Android was originally published at I Love Free Software

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Free Bike Racing Game for PC: Superbike Racers

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 11:00 AM PDT

Superbike Racers is a Free Bike Racing game available for PC Download. Superbike racer is easy to play and you can perform stunts too. There are twelve race tracks and four bikes to ride; which will be unlocked as you progress through the game. The four bikes available are 500cc Rapida, 600cc Supera, 800cc Hypera, and 990cc Monstra. You can play Single Race, Competition or Time Attack.

This racing game has good graphics and is a fast paced game. The other racing games available for free download that I reviewed earlier include BMW M3 Car Racing Game for PC and Need For Madness or you can play Free Online Car Racing Game: Death Race.

About This Free Bike Racing Game:

Superbike Racers is a fun game and the controls are easy to handle.

This racing game has three modes: Easy, Normal, and Hard. (You can change the mode in Options tab)

Easy: In this mode you have no collisions and no crashes and is easy to play. This is a good mode to use if you are just starting with this game.
Normal: In this mode collision detection is on and no crashes. So, once you have got a bit of hands on this game, you can move on to Normal mode.
Hard: In this mode both collision detection and crash can occur. Once you think you are becoming a pro in this game, this is the mode you want to try.

As I mentioned in the beginning, you can play Single Race, Competition or Time Attack. In the competition you get a chance to unlock the tracks and bikes. In single race you just play with the other players and in attack mode you just aim for the best lap.

Initially the game opens in a small window and gives you option to play in windowed mode or Full screen mode. So, choose according to your convenience and race with your bike.

Controls for Racing:

The controls for racing are easy to learn. Use mouse to navigate through the game options and escape button for pausing the game.

Racing: Use the Left arrow for turning left, Right for turning right, Up arrow for going forward and Down arrow for going back. Use [R] key to return to track or reload.

Stunts: The Left Alt button is used for making wheelie which actually makes your bike go faster and Shift button for making stoppie. Use Left Ctrl button for drifting.

The controls are available in Help option in the game.

There is nothing much to write about this game; but a lot to play and enjoy. The graphics and gameplay is really good; and the music is also fast paced.

This racing game can be played in any Windows system; even in the latest Windows 8.

You can Download for free.

Free Bike Racing Game for PC: Superbike Racers was originally published at I Love Free Software

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Free Sync Tool to Sync Large Media Libraries: Media Library Sync

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT

Media Library Sync is a simple, free sync tool for media library that can be used for syncing large media libraries to various destinations. The software also comes with the feature of specifying the parts of the library which you want to be synchronized on the respective devices. The free media library sync tool runs on a complex matching algorithm which automatically pairs the sub folders. You may even use this software for synchronizing 2 source folders in a single destination folder. There are hosts of things which could be done using this powerful, free sync tool.

Installing Media Library Sync

The installation of this free sync tool for media library could be carried out in a few simple steps where you need to download the setup file from here. After you have the file on your system the next step would be to run the setup on your system. A step by step process gets initiated which completes in a few minutes after which you need to launch the free media library sync tool. If you are looking for a simple sync tool, you can try Libox, Bamboo File Sync and MediaRover.

Using this free sync tool

Once the software is launched you would see a greyish interface with options at the top and a blank space at the bottom. To use the software the options available at the top needs to be used where each of them have to be set before proceeding with the synchronization.

Using the Add button you need to browse to the folder which you wish to be synchronized and named as the master directory. Once you choose the directory a root name appears and a list of files in the directory. You have the option to rename the root name at the top and press the update button. The next step is to press the scan button which scans and presents you all the files in the master directory chosen. After you do so you can select the add button again and set it as the destination folder. Press the scan button and the sync process gets initiated.

Features of Media Library Sync

This powerful, free sync tool for media library comes with the feature of sync files from source to destination folders as per the sync profiles. It even allows the sub folders for being manually checked with the sub folders present in the destination root folder. Moreover, the feature of allowing 2 source folders to be synchronised into a single source makes this an even better product. You may even include or exclude specific files while performing synchronization.

Download Media Library Sync free.

Free Sync Tool to Sync Large Media Libraries: Media Library Sync was originally published at I Love Free Software

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Free Software To Delete Empty Folders

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Here, are 5 free software to delete empty folders from your computer. Empty folders on your computer take unnecessary space on your hard drive, which further affects your system performance. Finding and deleting these empty folders is very much essential. With the help of these software to delete empty folders, one can easily find all the empty folders and delete them. These free software are generally straight-forward and easy to use, so users without any technical knowledge can even use this software with an ease. Try these software to delete empty folders for free.

FMS Empty Folder Remover

FMS Empty Folder Remover is a free and small in size software to delete empty folders. This free software basically scans a folder in order to find empty folders within that folder and further allows you to delete them in no time. The interface is very basic and straight-forward which shows you the list of empty folders which can be easily deleted. You can even choose to delete all empty folders shown in the list, or simply choose few of them to delete. FMS empty folder remover is a small in size software with a file size of only 721 KB. Try this tool for free in order to remove empty folders from your computer.

Read more about FMS Empty Folder Remover or try it here.

Remove Empty Directories

Remove Empty Directories is another free software which helps you to remove or delete empty folders from your computer. You can easily find all the empty folders within a drive and delete all of them in no time. Before deleting the empty folders, it shows you the list of all the empty folders so you can even exclude some folders from deletion. This free software even allows you to either delete empty folders permanently or just send them to the recycle bin. You can even specify or mention the system directories which you wish to exclude from the scratch. Try Remove Empty Directories for free.

Read more about Remove Empty Directories or try it here.

DelEmpty

DelEmpty is a straight-forward software that helps you to delete empty folders stored on your computer. The interface is very basic and simple, so the beginners would not face an issue while using this software. The interface is a single window which shows file count, folder count, program count, size and the path. For using this free software you need to input the fixed disk or removal disk to this software using Browse button. DelEmpty automatically starts the scanning process, so it scans the disk and displays a list of empty folders on your computer. Scanning process takes a couple of minutes and it totally depends upon the drive capacity.

Read more about DelEmpty or try it here.

EmptyFolderNuker

EmptyFolderNuker is a completely free tool which helps you to easily find and delete empty folders from your computer. For using this small in size software, you need to choose a base folder by clicking the Browse button. Now optionally you can check the options of check subfolders and consider folders with only empty subfolders as empty. Then you need to click the Find button. This shows you list of empty folders on the interface, so you can choose either all of the empty folders to delete or delete the selected ones. This software even comes with a shell integration feature which means that you can right click on any folder and find empty folders within the folder. Try EmptyFolderNuker for free.

Read more about EmptyFoldernuker or try it here.

Fast Empty Folder Finder

Fast Empty Folder Finder is small in size software using which you can easily find and delete empty folders. This software shows you a list of empty folders in your computer, and allows you to delete all empty files in one go or simply delete selective empty folders from the list. You can even exclude the empty folders from the list of empty folders and delete the rest. This folder finder even comes with option to either send the empty folder to the recycle bin or delete it permanently. You are even allowed to open a file in the explorer from the Open in Explorer option that appears when you right click on any empty file from the list. Try Fast Empty Folder Finder for free.

Read more about Fast Empty Folder Finder or try it here.

Free Software To Delete Empty Folders was originally published at I Love Free Software

Free Windows Dock and Application Launcher: sTabLauncher

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT

sTabLauncher is a free dock type of application launcher for Windows which you can use to run applications faster, while having your desktop area clean. Launchers can be grouped in tabs, and you can position the dock either on top or bottom of the desktop, depending on how you like it more. By default dock is gonna hide automatically, only coming up when you hover your mouse over it, but you can change that behavior in the very rich options menu that sTabLauncher has.

What you see on the image above is dock while it’s opened, this is how it looks when you hover your mouse over it. If there’s no activity around it, it’s gonna fade out and minimize to the desktop edge. This free dock for Windows is very lightweight, it will not slow down your system by much, which is very surprising, especially when you take into account that there are also animations when you hover your mouse over it. Some of the more interesting features that sTabLauncher has are:

Windows dock with tab support for application grouping
Automatic hiding when the dock is inactive
Launchers have adjustable icons
Separators can be used to additionally group similar apps
Launchers can be added by dragging and dropping icons to tabs

To start using sTabLauncher you’re first gonna have to go through the installation, then run it, and lastly create the desired tabs after which you can start filling them up with the applications that you’re interested in having so that they can be activated faster and more easily.

Similar software: Gomigo, XWindows Dock, MadApp Launcher.

How to setup sTabLauncher a free dock for Windows

Installation shouldn’t be a problem, it’s very easy just be careful the application suggests to you the installation of the famous Babylon toolbar, so make sure to uncheck that if you’re not interested in installing it. First thing that you wanna do is create tabs. By default there will be two tabs, Internet and App, if you want to create your own custom ones, right click on the dock and select Options.

You should then see what can be seen on the image above. In the left sidebar you can see that there are settings for icons, animations, behavior and most importantly Tabs. In tabs to create a new one, in the tab management field, select Add. It’s gonna appear down below where you’ll be able to add name (the description field), and then you can select color that the tab’s gonna have, and you can start filling it up with files or launchers.

Conclusion

Launchers can be added easily from the desktop, simply drag and drop the icons to the tab area and they will be placed there automatically, like you can see on the image above. Mac and Linux are known for having a lot of docks to choose from, but the most popular operating system in the world, Windows doesn’t have such a large selection, at least not until now. sTabLauncher is free, it costs you nothing to try it out, so make sure that you do.

Free Windows Dock and Application Launcher: sTabLauncher was originally published at I Love Free Software

Convert Videos to Various Formats: Best Video Converter

Posted: 01 Sep 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Best Video Converter is a free video converter that converts video from one format to another to make it compatible with various video players. People often claim that their computer or other device slows down when playing videos. Moreover, users often want to have good quality videos. Best Video Converter is the solution to all the requirements of fine and smooth video-play. The free video transcoder is absolutely efficient and exceptionally user-friendly to handle.

Download and Installation

This free video transcoder can be downloaded from the link. The download procedure is a usual one and requires running the free video converter for complete launch. Just follow the instructions as they appear and the installation completes. The main window of Best Video Converter appears when the installation completes. Not only download but the entire software has been developed such that users understand every feature of it just by exploring them. If you are interested to check out some more video converting software, you can try Sothink Video Converter, Miro Video Converter and Weeny Free Video Converter reviewed by us.

Features of Best Video converter

Now you can watch any video you want on Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows mobile, etc. by converting the file to the format compatible with the device application. Best Video Converter cannot only be assumed as a free video Converter. You can prepare videos for DailyMotion, Facebook, MetaCafe, YouTube and various other websites. Whether conversion of music file to MP3, WMA, WAV, etc. is considered, or creating DVD, DivX , MKV, etc. files for DVD players is the concern Best Video Converter is the complete software for all of it. This free video transcoder can play videos on or make them playable on lesser used operating systems such as Linux, Mac, etc.

Functionality and Usage of Best Video convertor

If you want to convert any file format, simply select the video file through Best Video Converter and click on 'Convert' at the top. You can open the file using the open button at the top-left. When you click on 'Convert', a window will prompt you to choose the format into which you want to convert the file. Also, you can choose the appropriate destination folder for the output file.

If by mistake you try to convert a video into a format to which you have already converted it, Best Video Converter renames the file before saving to avoid overwriting. Similarly you can convert any number of files to almost all video formats known today. The 'Output format' dropdown menu contains five different categories and more than 40 formats which is an indication of the vastness of the software. People may make mistake while choosing the source file, destination folder, or output video format and therefore the stop button comes into play. You can click on 'Stop' and immediately abort any on-going conversion. Besides, files can be removed from the list depending upon the users' wish. The 'Remove' also provides further options for removal of file according to your requirement.

Both the video files that you choose to convert and the converted video files can be visited or played in their respective format through the four buttons available at the bottom of the window. Most importantly, the functions of Best Video Converter need no explanation, everything is graphically, textually and intuitively described in the software. Best Video Converter is indeed one of the best video Converters available for users. The free video converting software is packed with features and detailed explanation would form a short guide-book.

In short, the usefulness of Best Video Converter is undeniable and so is its simplicity and dynamism. The friendliness quotient of the software has increased with 'Buy us a beer' option which is a unique way to seek your support to further better the software. Free availability also makes it a must-to-have, especially for video and music lovers.

Convert Videos to Various Formats: Best Video Converter was originally published at I Love Free Software

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