5.2

Vectoraster for Mac quickly creates vector point or line raster patterns based on bitmap images. The program performs its main functions well and may appeal to more experienced users who frequently use image and video editors.

Vectoraster for Mac comes with a free trial version that randomly alters the output image. A user manual accompanied the program, which was helpful. The first menu that appears is one to purchase the full version of the program. This was difficult to work around, at first, but could be minimized or closed once the main program started. The main window on the left … Read more

Beautiful Widgets Free has stunning, useful widgets that all conform to a sleek theme. However, the app locks most of its useful settings and options behind a paywall. It's not too expensive, but you might prefer a free alternative.

The free app lets you preview slimmed-down versions of the app's 12 different widgets. These include weather, battery life, and other settings displays. They certainly live up to the beautiful name, but most of the options to adjust them to fit your phone require a $3 upgrade. If you don't pay up, you can't do much outside … Read more

Get Backup for Mac's well-designed menu and useful features make it a good tool for system and file backups. With more and more information stored on your computer, the need for utilities for backing up important information stored on systems has increased, and this app has some nice options.

Despite the fact that the program is freeware, additional functions are available if the user chooses to purchase a special license. Get Backup for Mac opened quickly after being dragged into the Applications folder. The program's main menu was appropriately designed with clear graphics indicating the main buttons. Technical … Read more

VideoUpLink for Mac helps users who take frequent videos for sharing with friends to quickly upload them. While it allows the user to save some steps required for this process, it is of little additional value.

VideoUpLink for Mac provides a free trial version, which restricts the uploads to personal Facebook pages. The unrestricted version costs $9.99. The program downloaded quickly and its installation was seamless. The application did have technical support available, and a basic Help menu provided initial user instructions. The main interface is sparse, but easy to navigate, with buttons on the top for uploading and … Read more

The sheer volume of options and tools in SoundHound is impressive, if nothing else because it really does its best to immerse you in your music as people tend to listen to it now--live and socially. The tool, itself, is designed to recognize tracks playing in the background and help you find the artist or album in its database; but it goes beyond that, providing music headlines, a list of the recent charts, popular music from its users, and a Twitter stream of top songs.

If you love music, you will love SoundHound. The app is designed to be as … Read more

The iPhone and iPad are increasingly becoming a part of many people's everyday work tools. However, there are very few built-in tools for editing documents and the iWork applications are not very compatible with Microsoft Office, which is used by more than 80 percent of offices and their workers. So a third-party app is needed, and Office Plus touts itself as one of the most popular. But is it a good replacement for iWork or other office suites?

When you first open Office Plus, it isn't immediately obvious what you should do, a major issue for a lot … Read more

With Evernote being the 800-pound gorilla of online notes, there isn't much space for a new app to compete. Catch Notes takes a novel approach by giving you a simpler experience with tons of control over its features. It's worth trying, but might not be enough to get you to switch from your current favorite note-taking app.

Since the app syncs your notes over the Web, it requires an account to use. You can log in to it through Facebook or Google for an easy setup, though. If you do, your notes stay private and aren't shared … Read more

Being a DJ is cool, but the cost of equipment is not. PCDJ DEX 2 for Mac is a mixing program for music and video that is fully loaded with features and possibilities offered at a reasonable price.

PCDJ DEX 2 for Mac allows the user to mix music and video and even make karaoke files. The program automatically loads existing music and video files into the interface. You can add additional sound elements using external microphones, CD players and turntables. The media files are easily accessible and can be transferred to the mixing decks by dragging and dropping. The … Read more

AnVir Task Manager Free Portable bundles together some powerful system maintenance tools in one portable package controlled by a single interface. It replaces Windows Task Manager, managing your startup menu, scanning for and removing viruses and malware, and even tweaking Windows settings by disabling unneeded processes and regularly cleaning up unnecessary files. Recent updates include improved traffic monitoring.

AnVir Task Manager is a substantial bundle with a 271MB download, which nevertheless would fit easily on nearly every portable storage device in use. Clicking the program's extracted executable file produced a dialog box offering two options, Run As Administrator (recommended) … Read more