Most of us rely on awesome free online tools like Skype and Dropbox every day without thinking much about it. As great as those two are, they're really just the tip of the no-cost productivity software iceberg.Chances are you've heard of free tools like Audacity and Gimp to help create graphics and audio and FileZilla to move those files around the web. The fact is there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of productivity tools we can take advantage of without paying a dime.
In this article, I highlight 9 valuable tools that have been around for a while but you may not have heard of. Software that allows you to do things like:
- extract audio from video then save it as an MP3 file;
- edit digital photos;
- make fun graphics;
- view and organize images;
- connect to someone else's computer system or vice versa;
- turn your pictures into paintings, drawings or cartoons;
- manage your fonts; and
- type faster.
The following is a brief quick-start guide on each tool. I'm sure you'll find a few of these valuable if not most of them. Depending on what you do, some might be more useful to you than Skype and Dropbox.
Freecorder
Freecorder 6 is a free collection of tools for capturing all kinds of web video, music and audio right from inside your browser. It runs inside Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer on any PC with Windows 7, Vista or XP. Freecorder is a 100% free program where you can:
- Download videos from YouTube
- Record Audio into an MP3 file
- Record Video directly from your screen
- covert video and audio files into other popular formats
- Opens the default video player for your recorded files
Getting Started with Freecorder
- Go to freecorder.com and click on the Download Free button
- After downloading, Run and Install the program
- Once installed, all the Freecorder tools appear as a button inside your browser.
Saving YouTube Videos:
- Play any video from YouTube.com
- Select the YouTube downloader icon from your freecorder toolbar
- The YouTube video downloader window will appear
- Select the format you want to use to save your video. The download will start after choosing the format.
- The Freecorder Video window will appear. Once finished, play your video.
If you want to convert your video, use the drop down arrow next to your downloaded video to display more options. Click convert if you want to bring the file into the converter application or make an mp3 audio by selecting Save to MP3.
You can pause your recording by clicking on the On switch so that it goes to the Off position. Select Off to restart the recording session.
Recording MP3 Audio:
- Select the Audio Recorder button from your freecorder toolbar. The audio recorder window will appear
- Click on the start slider then play the audio you want to record
- Click on the Stop slider to end recording all audio
- Select properties on the drop down menu to change its file name then click OK
Converting Video and Audio Files:
- Click the convert button from your Freecorder toolbar
- Click on the Add Items button to add files
- Click on the Conversion Setting and choose the format you want to convert to
- Click the Start slider
- Click the Stop slider to cancel conversion
Making Screen Capture Videos:
- Click on the Screen recorder button on your freecorder toolbar
- To start screen capturing, drag the cross hairs icon on a video playing on your browser or choose one of the options from the drop down menu
- On the drop down menu, you have to select an area either; select video in browser, select full screen or default selection.
- Then click the Start button to start capturing
- Click Stop when done recording
To learn more about Freecorder, please visit this site:
http://freecorder.com/
Next up, creating audio files...
Audio Extractor
Audio Extractor (AoA) is a free tool that allows you to extract audio from video files without losing its sound quality and save them as MP3, WAV and other audio format. Using AoA, you can easily set the bit rate, sample rate and the volume and channel of an audio. You can also define the time you want to split by setting the start/end time or using the slider bar.
Major video formats that AoA supports:
- AVI
- FLV
- MP4
- MOV
- RM
- 3GP
- WMV
- VOB
- other
Getting Started with AoA
Visit www.aoamedia.com/audioextractor.htm to download the Audio Extractor tool for free. Click "Free Download" button, and it will ask you where you want to save it. Then "Install" the program.
When you open the program, you'll see four columns with Title, Start, End and Output format. Below the main window are the Output Audio Options where you can choose on the drop down menu the output format, audio bit rate, sample rate and channel (mono or stereo).
Select a video that you want to extract the audio from. Click on the "Add" folder and choose the video files. The information of the video such as Title, Start, End and Output Format will show up in the main window. Click "Start" to begin the extraction process.
When finished extracting, you'll see your audio file at the location specified. If you check the sound quality between the audio and video, you'll see that they are exactly the same.
To learn more about using Audio Extractor, just visit their website:
http://www.aoamedia.com/audioextractor.htm
Next, free photo editing...
PicPick
PicPick is user-friendly computer program that offers a variety of ways to edit digital photos, suitable for software developers, graphic designers and home users. It is available in multiple languages and can be used in either a single screen or double screen computer environment.
Features
Screen Capture - it can perform a variety of captures with customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Full Screen [Print Screen]
- Active Window [Alt + Print Screen]
- Scrolling Window [Ctrl + Alt + Print Screen]
- Repeat Last Capture [Shift + Ctrl + Q]
- Window Control [Ctrl + Print Screen]
- Region, Fixed Region [Shift + Ctrl + Print Screen]
- FreeHand [Shift + Ctrl + Alt + Print Screen]
Image Editor- PicPick Image Editor has a sophisticated screen capture utility, color picker, ruler and magnifier, and a whiteboard function.
Color Picker and Color Palette- You are able to pick and save your favorite colors so you can easily use them for the future. It supports various color code type (Rgb, HTML, C++, Delphi)
Screen Pixel Ruler- You don't have to install any other screen ruler software. You can take horizontal and vertical measurements with various units such as Pixels, Inches and Centimeters.
Screen Magnifier- It has the capacity to zoom up to 10 times
Screen Protractor- Helps you find angles on screen or measure angles between two lines.
Screen Crosshair- Used for aligning objects and calculating relative coordinates on screen, it helps to get the position of any pixel on the screen
Whiteboard - Allows you to write on the screen with the mouse and then capture it as a screenshot.
Getting Started with PicPick
- Go to http://www.picpick.org/download and click the "Download Home Free-version (from NTeWORKS)" link.
- Then click the "Click here to Download now" link and install
- Open your PicPick and you'll see the features that you can use in editing or creating your image
- If you want to take screenshots, just choose from a variety of captures under "Screen Capture" menu and simply click on the screen
- The captured screen can be opened directly in the image editor for editing
- Save your image by pressing Ctrl +S then save
The main elements of the PicPick Image Editor are:
- File tabs
- Drawing and text tools
- Image size and image canvas
- Zoom tool
- Image modification and filter buttons
There are so many output options for captured screen such as:
- Copy to Clipboard
- Save to Image File
- Print the image
- Upload to Facebook
- Upload to Twitter
- Upload to FTP
- Email using Outlook
- External Program
- Auto Save As...
Using the tools on the Picpick Image Editor, you can draw, insert shapes, arrows, lines and text, use effects like blur, sharpen, hue and pixelate, adjust contrast and brightness, and rotate or flip the image.
When finished, just press Ctrl + S and save it. The popular formats for the web are .JPG and .Gif.
To learn more about using PicPick, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4-dFWeieEM
Next, cool image effects made quick and easy...
FotoSketcher
FotoSketcher is a cool application that converts digital images into pencil sketches, watercolor, oil paintings, pen, ink drawings and cartoons. It can also apply vintage photo and sepia effects. Simply choose the photo you want to edit then select the desired sketch style and it will instantly apply the effect. There are over 20 different styles available.
Getting Started with FotoSketcher
- Go to www.fotosketcher.com and click on the gray "Download Now" button.
- It will take you to the download page; just click "Get FotoSketcher from Download.com."
- Then click "Download Now" to start your download automatically
- After downloading, execute then Run.
- After installing, launch the application to get started
Here's an example of what this software can do:
How to Use FotoSketcher
- Launch the application then click on "File" and select Open a Picture
- It will load up the Drawing Parameters
You'll see all kind of settings that you can set. You can change the Drawing style, adjust edge threshold, edge intensity, color intensity, level of contrast, darken or lighten the image, and add frames and text.
- You can see different Drawing styles. Just click the arrow and select from the list of styles that you want to use or go to Edit then select drawing parameters or F10
- You can add text to the image by opening the drawing parameters, then check the Add text checkbox and click on the box with three dots.
- You can use the icons below the main menu in editing your image. You can crop the image, add text, print, undo and redo the action you've made, save the drawing as... etc.
Click Draw when you're done making changes to the Drawing Parameters.
Once you're finished, Save it by going to File and select Save the drawing as... or simply by clicking the icon on the menu. You can save it as JPG, PNG and BMP files.
To learn how to use FotoSketcher, check out these tutorials:
http://tutorials.downloadroute.com/video-170199.html
Next up, creating desktop videos...
Jing
Ok, I said 9 free tools you've probably never heard of, but I'd be surprised if you don't know what Jing is. Jing is a fast and easy way to capture images and record videos of what you do or see on your computer screen. It has a free version and a paid professional version. Pro version allows you to save files in MP4 format while the free version only saves SWF (Flash Video) files.
Jing allows you to:
- capture any screen shot you want
- add arrows or caption windows
- create a quick tutorial video
- record screencasts
- collaborate with Snagit and Camtasia
Getting Started with Jing
- Go to http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html to download Jing
- Click Free Download button at the right-hand corner
- Choose a version of Jing to download; Windows or Mac. Click on the appropriate operating system
- A window will pop up which will have installation instructions. Follow the instructions to install Jing on your computer
- As you're installing Jing, you'll be asked to register for a free account with screencast.com.
- Either create new account or use an existing account, you'll need to provide an email address and password.
- Click login in the lower right of the screen
Capture an Image
- Once you've successfully installed Jing on your computer, you'll see a sun icon at the top of your screen
- Mouse over the sun icon and three rays will appear
- Select Capture - the one with the cross-hairs
- Draw a rectangle around the area you would like to capture by clicking in the corner of the image you would like to capture and drag the cursor to the opposite corner (you'll notice that everything outside the rectangle will turn gray and the part you are capturing will maintain its color)
- After you have drawn your rectangle, lift up the mouse and a menu will appear at the bottom of the image you just captured just click Capture Image
- Name your picture and save it on your computer or copy the image to your clipboard
- Arrow - allows you to draw an arrow anywhere in the picture
- Text - allows you to create a text box then type text in it
- Box - allows you to draw a box around an object
- Highlighter - allows you to highlight any part of the image
- Color - allows you to specify the color of the highlighter and box
- Undo and redo - allows you to undo or redo the action in case of mistakes
Record a Video
- Mouse over the sun icon and select Capture
- Click and drag the cross-hairs to select a region
- Click the Capture Video button (if it's your first time to use it, Jing will ask which audio device you'd like to use)
- There will be a 3-second countdown before capturing the video and yellow strip-like vertical brands will start scrolling to indicate that the recording is in progress
- You can Pause, Restart, Stop or cancel your recordings by clicking on the buttons below your captured video
- When finished recording, Click Finish then Save.
Videos are limited to 5 minutes in length for both Jing and Jing Pro version.
To start using Jing, visit this link:
http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
Next, enhanced screen captures ....
Screen Hunter
For screen captures, I love SnagIt, but have to admit it's a little expensive. Screen Hunter is an alternative that is free. This type of software enables you to take screenshots using several methods. It's a very easy to set up and use, and you can upload the saved web images right into your gallery without having to resize them in an editing program.
Screen Hunter is free with a paid Pro version that offers more features.
Getting Started with Screen Hunter
- Go to http://www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm
- Click on the blue "Download" button
- You'll be taken to a page where you can join their mailing list. If you don't want to join click the "Just Download" button on the right-hand side.
- Under Free Programs, Find and click on the "SetupScreenHunterFree.exe" link
- Download and Run the saved setup package
- Open the program wherever you installed it
To get started, pick a Hotkey (the key you can press on your keyboard to capture anything on your screen). Set your Hotkey or manage your profile by clicking on the button at the right hand corner of the Screen Hunter window. Choose any combination that you would like to set as your Hotkey or simply click the Capture Now button to capture.
- Select Rectangular Area and check on the Mouse pointer
- On the To tab, check clipboard to copy the capture to the Windows clipboard
- Check Editor if you want to edit right after (for Pro users only)
- In the Save to File group box, select the type of file you want the image to save as
- Click the folder button at the bottom and select the location for your captures
Capture:
- Click Capture Now or press your hotkey on your keyboard to capture a rectangular area on the screen
- Press the left mouse button down and drag it anywhere on the screen, then release the mouse button after capturing the area
- If the Adjustable Rectangle is checked on the Rectangular capture settings, after you release your mouse, the selected area is shown highlighted
- Open your capture on your Desktop or on the location you've set up to save your captures (the capture is also copied to the clipboard)
- When you have started capturing and you want to cancel, just press the Esc key to cancel
- If you select Full screen on the Capture What group, after clicking on the Capture Now button, it will automatically captured the whole screen
There are only limited features that you can access if you're using the free version. You can upgrade by going to the Tasks tab and choose Upgrade. Below are some of the features that you can unlock if you upgrade to a Pro version:
- Enable Auto-capture on the Timer's group then set the time you want to capture your screen
- Capture Video screen
- Capture only specific window
- Enable shapes
- Add effects such as caption, watermark, border, auto-scale, colors
- Send capture to Editor, Printer and Email
- And so on...
To download Screen Hunter, just visit this website:
http://www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm
Next, type faster by giving your keys a boost...
Speed Typing
This is one of my favorite tools. Speed Typing saves frequently used text quickly and easily. It is very useful for fast standard typing phrases such as signatures, email addresses, URLs and a lot more. All you have to do is to type a word and Speed Typing will automatically replace it with a line or a paragraph.
Getting Started with Speed Typing
- Go to www.colorpilot.com/speed-typing.html
- Scroll down and find the "Download Speed Typing 1.40 (140K)" link
- Execute the program then Run and Install
- You can open the Speed Typing program into your taskbar if you pinned it there or by clicking on the "show hidden icons" arrow
- Right click on the icon then choose Phrases…
- The Speed Typing - Phrases window will appear. Click New on the speed typing interface
- Another window will appear. Enter a keyword and phrase or the message that will appear when you enter the keyword
- Hit okay when done and add more if you like
- Once you're done, try to compose an email message then type in the keyword that you set up and you'll see how it will automatically populated the composition message that you're going to send
Now you don't need to type over and over again the same phrases or paragraph, all you have to do is set things up on your Speed Typing interface and you're good to go.
To learn more about using Speed Typing and how to get it, please visit site:
http://www.colorpilot.com/speed-typing.html
Next, real online collaboration...
Team Viewer
Team Viewer is a personal computer software package for desktop sharing, online meetings and file transfer between computers. It provides easy, fast and secure remote access to Windows, Mac and Linux and Android OS. You might think of it as a free version of GoToMeeting.
Getting Started with Team Viewer
- Go to www.teamviewer.com - this is where you download the team viewer software
- Click on the "Download" Free for private use
- Once downloaded, Execute - Run, choose Install or Run and click Next
- You'll be asked "how do you want to use Team Viewer?" Is it for personal, for company or both. Click Next
- Tick on the License Agreement then Next
- Choose the installation type then hit Finish
How to Use Team Viewer
Once you have installed Team Viewer, Launch the application and you'll see the Team Viewer remote control interface
Note: The other participating party must have Team View open in order for you to take control of their computer
Here you can find your Team Viewer ID and password. This is what you give to your partners to connect to your system.
If you want to establish a Remote Connection:
- Launch the Team Viewer Application
- Request your friend's ID and Password to have access to his/her computer
- Hit the "Connect to Partner" button then you will be ask to enter your partner's password. Click log on.
- You are now connected to your partner's computer.
If you choose "File Transfer" instead of Remote Control, you will be allowed to send and receive files. Just select the files to be transferred and the destination, then hit the Send or Receive button.
Setting up/ Joining a Meeting
- If you want to start a new session, click on the Meeting tab then press Start instant meeting
- You will be the presenter; the participants should know the meeting ID in order to join the meeting you have set up.
- But if you are the one who wants to join the meeting, you should also know the meeting ID then type in your name and hit "Join meeting" (There is no restriction on the number of people that can join)
- The name of the presenter and all the Participants can be seen on the meeting interface
You can create a list of your computers by signing up an account in Team Viewer. Click on the Computers & Contacts link located at the lower right hand corner of the Team Viewer's interface.
- Click Sign Up then provide the information needed such as Username, E-mail, Password then click next.
- Set a name and password for your computer then press next.
- You'll see a confirmation saying that your computer was added to your list of computers. Click Finish
- The computers and contacts window will be attached to the Team Viewer's window. It should look like this:
Team Viewer's Menu
On the Connection menu, you can choose to Invite Partner, Setup unattended access or Exit Team Viewer.
On the Extras menu, you have the Options, tell a friend about Team Viewer, Open log files, Activate license, play or convert recorded session and see your trial period.
When you go to Extras then options, you can edit or change some info about your Team Viewer's account. Here you will see options for the following:
- options for access your computer
- options for remote control
- options for meetings
- options for Computers & Contacts
- Settings for audio conferencing
- Settings for video source
- Template for "Invite partner" - Email
- Advanced Options
Help menu is where you can access Team Viewer web help, Team Viewer website, Feedback, Check for new version and About.
To learn more about using Team Viewer, please go to this website:
http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx?utm_expid=60202728-6
Next, become a font master...
Fontster
Fontster is a very simple tool used for displaying and previewing all your PC fonts. Fontster comes in the form of an HTML Application and normally run on any windows 2000 or later system as long as Internet Explorer is available. It is perfectly capable for font viewing, with handy options to customize its preview text and change the font size.
Getting Started with Fontster
- Go to www.nattyware.com/fontster.php
- Below the Download Fontster now, you can download a portable application or a zip archive file
- Choose the one you want to download, then launch the application
Once you've open Fontster, you'll see the lists of different types of fonts on the left-hand pane and preview on the right-hand pane of the Fontster's interface.
At the bottom is where you can change the font size preview as well as the exit button
Using Fontster
- Type in the text that you want to preview using different fonts
- You can change the font size to give you an idea of how the text will look at different sizes
- Then click one of the fonts and you'll see the sample text
This may be a very simple tool but it can be very useful to others.
If you wish to learn more about using Fontster, please go to this website:
http://www.nattyware.com/fontster.php
There you have it, 9 great tools that will improve your productivity. If you use a little-known, but extremely useful tool to add to our list, please let us know about it by leaving a comment below.
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