10 TechnoLeah approved free computer apps

Not every awesome computer application or software costs money. On the other hand there are harmful computer apps that should be avoided. Keeping these two facts in mind, check out these 10 TechnoLeah approved FREE downloads for your computer.

F.lux

(Win & Mac)
When you spend too much time on your computer your eyes tend to get the short straw. This will lead to issues such as headaches, watery eyes and poor sleeping habits. F.lux was created with helping to distress your eyes in mind. This application will adjust to the time of day so your eyes don’t get too tired and you’ll be able to sleep easier.

Dropbox

(Win & Mac)
Sometimes files are just too big to send in an email. For all those times Dropbox is a huge lifesaver. Sign up and install the software. Once that’s done you’ll have a “public” dropbox to send files to any of your friends, family or business partners. Note: The person you send a file to doesn’t need Dropbox installed on their machine. You can send them a public download link and the software will still get the job done.

Caffeine

(Win & Mac)
This app will be your next presentation’s best friend. Whenever you click the small cup of java your computer’s screen will not dim and your computer won’t go to sleep. This way you can still spend five minutes on a slide and the projector won’t go black. Also application comes in handy when you’re designing and when you’re streaming video.

Droplr

(Win & Mac)
Long URLs are obnoxious. So, making them shorter is never a bad idea. Droplr does exactly that. Highlight the full web address and just drop it onto Droplr’s logo. The application will spit out a shorter web address and have it copied already. So all you have to do is Command + V (or Control + V on windows) and you’re shorter link is pasted!

MPEG Streamclip

(Win & Mac)
Multimedia compressor to the rescue! Do you own and upload to a domain? Or do you edit video for a living or hobby? MPEG Streamclip condenses video files into smaller files and into different formats. Just drop the file you want to shrink on the opened program and it works!

Coconut Battery

(Mac only) or BatteryCare (Win)
Coconut Battery for Mac will let you know how your battery is holding up to the test of time. The easy to read application opens a dialogue box on your screen comparing “design capacity” to “current capacity.” BatteryCare performs a similar comparison on windows machines.

Opus Domini Lite

(Mac only)
For the planner fiends out there: Opus Domini Lite keeps track of goals, daily/weekly/monthly tasks and notes you have throughout the day. On top of that iCal users will be happy to know that the two applications will sync! It’s also not impossible to sync a Google calendar to this customizable on screen planner.

Skype

(Win & Mac)
If you’re not using Skype by now, then it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. Video chatting with your friends and family is quick and easy with this computer program. If you’re jaded from the old AOL creeper days in chat rooms, you’ll be happy to know that there are privacy settings that actually do their job. Or in you’re not in the mood to video chat you can always switch too the more old school method and instant message.

Open Office

(win & Mac)
Office is expensive and students need it. If you can’t afford the $100-$250 purchase just download Open Office instead. The application runs straight from your computer so there’s no need to be connected to the Internet and everything is simple. You can write and edit word, excel, and power point files. So save some money by not buying office and try this out instead.

TextWrangler

(Mac only) or Notepad++ (Win only)
If you’ve been known to code in your spare time, or if you’re just beginning to, these free applications will be a solid use of bandwidth. Both TextWrangler and Notepad++ are free to download and they’re great tools for designers and coders no matter their skill level.