2.5

Avidemux for Mac is a video editing and encoding app. It is not available from the App Store but is on many download sites. Avidemux for Mac installs easily.

At its core, Avidemux for Mac is designed to allow you to cut a larger video into a smaller one, although this is not a full-featured video editor. Avidemux for Mac also provides encoding capabilities, converting videos from one codec to another. Avidemux for Mac can also act as a filter, applying specific filter effects to a video clip (although the filter effects are somewhat limited compared to much more expansive … Read more

PDF software can be extremely sophisticated -- with a price to match. But sometimes you just want to create a simple PDF document that others can open and view. PDF ReDirect Freeware is a simple PDF creator from EXP Systems. It creates and merges universal PDF documents with no restrictions, watermarks, size limits, ad banners, pop-ups, nags, or similar limitations.

PDF ReDirect opens with its Help file displayed as well as a list comparing its features with its shareware version. Like many PDF creators, PDF ReDirect appears as an option on the Printer menu when you select the Print command … Read more

Loan Plan for iPhone is a budgeting app that lets you crunch the numbers on a proposed loan to see if it is good or not. Loan Plan for iPhone installs easily and costs $3.99 through the App Store.

Loan Plan for iPhone lets you enter basic loan information (term, principal, interest rate) and displays your loan payments and amortization schedule. It also shows you the credit capacity you have, based on your income and expenses, letting you know if you can really afford the loan. You can save the results in a file so you can compare loan … Read more

CloudOn lets you add Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, and several other apps to your iPad through the use of cloud computing. CloudOn also lets you use your cloud storage accounts to handle your files. It installs easily.

CloudOn provides access to a clouded workspace with applications such as Microsoft Office. You can use CloudOn to edit Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files on your iPad. You can also access your cloud storage accounts, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and others for file storage from the workspace. With Adobe Reader and File Viewer also installed on the workspace, you can see almost … Read more

Island Racer is a racing game for those who don't need hard-core vehicle simulations. You drive a car through a variety of tracks, including off-road, and nudging your opponents off the road not just allowed by encouraged. Island Racer installs on Macs easily. There is a Lite version, which is free but limited, while the full copy will cost you $4.99.

Island Racer lets you choose your car silhouette and color, and then gives you a third-person behind-the-car view as you steer around the tracks. Island Racer can generate track and scenery in real time, so each track … Read more

Cisco AnyConnect is an iOS app for connecting through VPNs (not necessarily those controlled by Cisco hardware). It provide access through a secure tunnel to allow iPhones and iPads to access corporate e-mail, files, and remote desktops. The app is free and works with any VPN that supports the standard DTLS security layer.

Cisco AnyConnect is a popular application for laptops that many road warriors employ. The port to the iOS environment is well done, and we had no trouble connecting to the same devices through our iPad and iPhone as we did with our Windows-based laptops and MacBook Pro. … Read more

Paper documents are still around, but with iOS apps like TurboScan, you'll find it easier to go paperless.

The app launches ready for action with simple controls at the top to take pictures or start scanning. With the Camera option, you snap a picture and that app will guide you to the editing phase, just like any other scanner. The SureScan 3x option takes three pictures and combines them into one single document. Although the app doesn't always detect the edges of a document very well, it does a decent-enough job overall, and we liked the fact that … Read more

For those looking for a Skype or Yahoo Messenger alternative, Camfrog Video Chat is an option to consider. While we found it easy to use, we ran into a few difficulties trying to join some of its chat rooms.

Camfrog's user interface is clean and simple, although it reminds us a bit too much of Apple's iChat application. Still, it isn't intimidating and has all the primary functions accessible so you won't waste valuable minutes reading the Help files. Just like in Skype or YM, you need to create a contact list first, but the application … Read more

The spell checker is one of the great software inventions, saving face (and other bits of anatomy) for countless writers. Conceived as part of another software milestone, the word processor, spelling, and grammar checkers are found anywhere people have access to keyboards and entry fields, but especially in e-mail clients, chat apps, and similar software. Ginger is a free spelling and grammar checker based on concepts like full-sentence context and text-to-pronunciation. This free Web-based tool can help writers improve their skills and produce clear, error-free text, but it's particularly effective for learning English as a second language and helping … Read more