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PicChar Lite is a unique app in many ways. Designed as a photo editing tool, it serves only a single function: transforming your photos into text-based images. The effect is very cool, but the actual use of the app will vary depending on how much you need images consisting of thousands of tiny letters.

The idea is simple. Take a photo (or grab one from your photo library) and PicChar will transform the image into a collection of different colored text that forms a mosaic of your image. The animation of this happening is mesmerizing and the final effect is … Read more

Due to the success of companies like Instagram, the iPhone is overrun each week with a dozen copycats that offer roughly the same experience with a few small tweaks. So at first glance, it's easy to ignore Photoplay App as another attempt to capitalize on the success of other, better-established apps. But despite the many similarities, Photoplay is still an engaging, unique-enough experience. If you're looking for a tool that doesn't integrate directly with Facebook, this may be it.

The concepts are simple. After registering your account, connect it to any social networks you want to share … Read more

Those who often host events or create scrapbooks may desire ways to create and personalize invitations and photo collages on a computer. Smilebox for Mac functions well and has many features one would expect of a card creation program, but it seems to be aimed at the novice.

The file's small size allowed for a quick download, and the native installer placed the program directly in the applications folder. Startup did require the acceptance of a lengthy user agreement. The program first prompts the user to create a free online account to enable more sharing options, but this can … Read more

Mac users with Excel may want add-on applications for more functionality. Solver for Excel 2011 for Mac integrates well into the existing Excel program and performs additional operations on spreadsheet data.

The program is available for free and is actually included in later versions of Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet program for Mac. Solver for Excel 2011 for Mac downloads and installs directly onto the Excel program without any problems or user input required. After opening Excel, the user must go to the add-in area and select the Solver program. It then imports and installs a button in Excel's Data … Read more

Photo editing programs can be geared towards the digital editing expert or the novice. Despite a lack of user guidance, the free Photo Zoe Editor for Mac is definitely aimed at the less experienced user. It performs all of the basic editing functions well and is fairly easy to use for any Mac owner.

Installation of Photo Zoe Editor completed quickly. The program started for the first time without any problematic setup steps. No user instructions were present, but the interface was very easy to use for anyone familiar with other photo editing programs. Technical support did not appear to … Read more

Some users may find modern Web browsers too complicated for basic Internet use. Minimalist Browser for Mac accomplishes its goal of presenting a less complicated browsing experience, but ultimately appears incomplete.

There were no unnecessary steps required to download and install Minimalist Browser for Mac. After installation, there did not appear to be any technical support for updates, but the first page in the browser was a rudimentary instruction page. The program, itself, is just a Web page window with no control or URL bar. Navigation is limited to a key combination that brings up a Google search and a … Read more

Users who handle large files may need an application to compress and extract them. Keka for Mac performs all of the functions expected of a file archive application, and has many options that would be useful for advanced users.

The program is free, and better yet, comes without any advertisements. The download and installation completed as quickly as expected. There did not appear to be any technical support or product updates available, and furthermore, there were no instructions, which less experienced Mac users might find disappointing since the program's options can be confusing. The user interface also lacks helpful … Read more

Those users who work on projects for multiple clients often need to track the time spent working on each task. As an easy-to-use time management application, timetrack for Mac performs well and proves to be a quite useful application.

The program is available as a free application, but it does require signing up for a Web service in order to use it. The download completed very quickly and the native installer set the program up directly in the applications folder. timetrack for Mac has no real interface other than a small window with a play button along with green and … Read more

Keeping personal information like credit card data or Social Security numbers safe is becoming ever more important. Concealer for Mac is fairly well designed, making it an adequate option for users trying to store their private information securely.

Concealer for Mac offers a free trial version with a storage limit. The full version is available without limitations for a payment of $19.95. Despite the lack of a native installer, the program downloaded and installed quickly. After initiating the program, it brings up a menu for tutorial videos, although none of them loaded. After closing this menu, the program requests … Read more