Windows only Many people consider magnifiers to only be for accessibility purposes, but they are also useful when working on projects that require pixel-perfect precision. Pointing Magnifier is a free Windows app that works really well when it comes to needing to do more than just read what is on the screen.
Windows only Markdown is a language that is supposed to make writing easier by letting users compose formatted content in a plain-text editor. Getting used to some of the syntax can take time, but there is a lot of intuitiveness behind it as well. Once you decide that you want to give Markdown a try I recommend checking out the free MarkdownPad app for Windows.
Windows; Mac Most screenshot apps out there don't have integrated sharing options, but there is definitely a trend to make screenshot sharing easier with these types of programs. TinyGrab is a free utility that focuses on snapping a screenshot and immediately uploading it to their servers or your own custom location through FTP/SFTP.
Windows only Many computers these days are shipping with SSDs to improve the overall performance of the machines, but as a compromise we have to give up some of the storage space we've grown accustomed to having.
Windows only There aren't many instances when I have to print things these days, but when I do I feel like I'm wasting a lot of paper with the stuff I'm trying to print off. There is a free app called iPrint that tries to save your precious resources by helping you print multiple pages on to one single page.
Windows only When it comes to popular services like Gmail and Facebook there are a wide range of extensions available to make their appearance look a little nicer, but the free Pokki app takes an even more interesting approach to this.
Windows only In the past we've covered some Gmail notifiers, such as Spiffy, but there is always room for some alternative apps. Gmail Notifier Pro is a rather full-featured notifier that goes beyond a simple popup notification.
Windows; Linux Have you ever been in the situation where you've wanted to archive a website so that you'd have a copy of it exactly the way it was at that moment? If you have just one page you want to save that can generally be done with tools like this Chrome extension, but to create a copy of a site it can be a lot more complicated.
Windows only We've covered several Windows Explorer alternatives here on the site, and in general the ones that are free all leave something to be desired. The thing that I really like with NexusFile is that it has many of the features power users want, but without all the clutter that a lot of the other file managers tend to come with.
Windows only We've talked about both WinMerge and DiffMerge in the past, and both are great file comparison utilities. When it comes to comparing files, however, these generally only focus on text-based files meaning PDFs are left out in the dark. There is another free program called DiffPDF that can handle those files for you.
Windows only Microsoft added a lot of great features in Windows 7 that makes managing your windows a lot easier, such as Aero Snap and Aero Shake. For some users, however, these features may actually become even more useful if they are tweaked just a little bit. AquaSnap is a free program that adds a new twist to the way some of those things work:
Windows; Mac; Linux Not everyone has the money to spend on a professional diagram editor like Visio, but there are some free solutions available as well. Many of the free options are available online as web-based editors, but if you need a desktop app something like the Dia Diagram Editor may be what you want.
Windows only If you've ever tried to find something in the Windows Registry you'll know how basic the built-in registry search tool is. A free app called RegSeeker is looking to solve that by providing a much more selective and customizable search utility.
Windows only If you are looking for a way to spice up your day a little bit maybe what you need is something that will play elevator music while programs are opening, files are copying, and your downloads are downloading. Instant Elevator Music is an app that will play, well, elevator music when those kinds of operations are taking place.
Windows only There seems to be all kinds of screenshot apps available for Windows, and many of them cater to different audiences. One of my favorites is Greenshot since it is lightweight, free, and has just the right number of features, but CaptureIt Plus comes in a close second.
Windows only Folder Monitor is a free Windows app that can track changes to folders you select. The types of changes include a file being created, changed, renamed, or deleted. When one of those events occur you can have a visual notification appear, a sound played, and a command line action taken.
Windows only We've seen all kinds of apps that assist with finding large files and folders on your machine, but you often don't have much control over the kinds of files and folders that are returned.
Windows only If you'r worried that something may be going on behind-the-scenes on your computer TCPEye is an app that may put your mind at ease. It monitors all TCP and UDP ports on your computer for activity, and displays the information in a list like the one pictured above. Here is a quick rundown on what the app will tell you about each TCP or UDP connection on your machine:
I've run into the situation before where I've needed to empty the Recycle Bin for all users on a multi-user computer.
Windows only I never thought I'd find a file archiver that I liked better than 7-Zip, but the interface provided by Hamster ZIP Archiver has really won me over. Not only can you compress files as both ZIP and 7Z formats, but it also looks great while it is doing the dirty work.
