Wednesday's List for Mac

Adobe Illustrator CC for Mac

Adobe Creative Cloud Photography for Mac

VLC media player

VLC Media Player is the most popular and robust multi format, free media player available. Its popularity has been aided by compatibility and codec issues which render competitor media players like QuickTime, itunes and RealPlayer useless to many popular video and music file formats. The easy, basic UI and huge array of customization options mean few free media players can match VLC. Flexibility VLC plays almost any video or music file format you can find. At its launch this was a revolution compared to the default media players most people were using that often crashed or displayed “codecs missing” error messages when trying to play media files. VLC can play MPEG, AVI, RMBV, FLV, QuickTime, WMV, MP4 and a shed load of other media file formats. For a full list of compatible file formats please click here. Not only can VLC Media Player handle loads of different formats, VLC can also playback partial or incomplete media files so you can preview downloads before they finish. Easy to Use VLC’s UI is definitely a case of function over format. The basic look does however make the player extremely easy to use. Simply drag and drop files to play or open them using files and folders then use the classic media navigation buttons to play, pause, stop, skip, edit playback speed, change the volume, brightness, etc. A huge variety of skins and customization options mean the standard appearance shouldn’t be enough to prevent you choosing VLC as your default media player. Advanced Options Don’t let VLC Media Player’s simple interface fool you, within the playback, audio, video, tools and view tabs are a huge variety of player options. You can play with synchronization settings including a graphic equalizer with multiple pre-sets, overlays, special effects, AtmoLight video effects, audio spatializer and customizable range compression settings. You can even add subtitles to videos by adding the SRT file to the video’s folder. Summary VLC Media Player is quite simply the most versatile, stable and high quality free media player available. It has rightly dominated the free media player market for over 10 years now and looks like it may for another 10 thanks to the constant development and improvement by VideoLAN Org.

VirtualDJ Home

There are a host of DJ apps that can be used on the Mac platform. However, VirtualDJ Home has carved its own niche in a competitive marketplace. It is one of the most popular DJ apps for Mac, specifically targeting the casual DJs wishing to mix their own music. Create home based music mixes by simply dragging and dropping music files or songs into the main pane. The turntable-like interface allows you to mix songs however you like. There are two controllers where you can mix and control two songs. Both have sliders, knobs and other sets of buttons for mixing control. At the bottom of the application interface, you find the track list and album art. There are lots of cool features in this application like the beat lock, looping and beat matching that will make mixing much easier. It will probably take you a bit of time to get to grips with the software but once you get the hang of it you really can do a lot. There is an extensive variety of effects that can be used in your mixes. VirtualDJ Home is that it is absolutely free, which with this level of features will be hard for other free mixing programs to match. Mixing, remixing and scratching become a breeze and MP3 mix songs are easy to create. VirtualDJ Home is downloaded more than a million times every month and is one of the most used DJ software programs out there. As this software is about 10 years old, it has definitely come a long way in the field. In fact, renowned DJs like Denon, Hercules and Pioneer use this software for digital mixing. The beat lock engine is terrific and mixing is superbly fast. There is a seamless loop engine that works automatically as well. There is a video mixer providing you with as much great control over your mixing as the audio mixer. A large array of downloadable skins lets you customize the look and feel too.

iTunes for Mac

iTunes is a free application for Mac and PC. It plays all your digital music and video. It syncs content to your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. And it's an entertainment superstore that stays open 24/7. Organize your music into playlists Edit file information Record compact discs Copy files to an iPod or other digital audio player Purchase music and videos on the Internet through the built-in iTunes store Run a visualizer to display graphical effects in time to the music Encode music into a number of different audio formats.

Google Chrome

Google’s game changing browser Chrome for Mac combines sophisticated technology with a simple UI, to create a faster, safer and easier browsing experience. Google’s rapid and continuous development cycle ensures Chrome for Mac continues to close in on Safari's dominant position in the Mac browser market.SpeedWe thought Firefox was good but Chrome not only beats it for speed, it also takes less strain on Mac CPU. Which means not only will your browsing be quicker, but so too will other applications you're running at the same time. Google Chrome launches extremely quickly, runs applications at speed thanks to a powerful JavaScript engine and loads pages rapidly using the WebKit open source rendering engine. Add to this quicker search and navigation options from the simplified UI and you have a browser that is damn hard to beat on speed.Clean, simple UIWhile this was a revolutionary area for PC users, Mac users were already used to slimline looking browsers thanks to Safari. We think Chrome improved on this further though - the simple UI hasn’t changed much since the beta launch in 2008. Google focused on trimming down unnecessary toolbar space to maximise browsing real estate. The browser is made up of 3 rows of tools, the top layer horizontally stacks automatically adjusting tabs, next to a simple new tabs icon and the standard minimize, expand & close windows controls. The middle row includes 3 navigation controls (Back, Forward & Stop/Refresh), a URL box which also allows direct Google web searching and a star bookmarking icon. Extensions and browser settings icons line up to the right of the URL box. The third row is made up of bookmark folders and installed apps. Easily overlooked now, this clean UI was a breath of fresh air compared to the overcrowded toolbars of popular browsers pre-2008.PrivacyAnother hugely popular feature, Incognito mode allows you to browse privately by disabling history recording, reducing traceable breadcrumbs and removing tracking cookies on shutdown. Chrome’s settings also allow you to customize regular browsing privacy preferences.SecurityChrome’s Sandboxing prevents malware automatically installing on your Mac or affecting other browser tabs. Chrome also has Safe Browsing technology built in with malware and phishing protection that warns you if you encounter a website suspected of containing malicious software/activity. Regular automatic updates ensure security features are up to date and effective.CustomizationA vast selection of apps, extensions, themes and settings make your browsing experience unique to you. Improve productivity, security, navigation speed, pretty much anything you can think of with apps and extensions from the Google Chrome Store. Install themes created by top artists or make your own using mychrometheme.com. Sign in with your Google Account to back up your contacts, preferences, history as well as access all your Google tools with a single login.In case you are looking for an alternative, you may want to try Avast Secure Browser.The program provider has restricted distribution of older versions of this product. FileHippo apologises for any inconvenience caused.

BlueStacks App Player

BlueStacks App Player for Mac is a great tool for allowing you to run your favorite mobile apps/games in full screen in your browser using a Mac. BlueStacks App Player for Mac Key Features Fully customizable environment. Support for multiple OS configurations. Google Play integration. Once installed, BlueStacks App Player for Mac can be configured to work with your choice of popular social media platforms i.e. Facebook or Twitter. As the environment runs Android apps, you can configure BlueStacks App Player for Mac to work with your Google Play account, so you can access all your favourtite apps and games! The user interface of BlueStacks App Player for Mac can be totally configured to suit your needs. Additionally, it is capable of integrating with the custom software experiences which are designed and developed by Apple. You can enjoy a full Android environment through BlueStacks App Player for Mac, or if you choose, you can just install Android app icons directly onto the Mac desktop. BlueStacks App Player for Mac supports multiple languages. Looking for the Windows version of BlueStacks App Player? Download Here

VMWare Fusion Pro

VMware Fusion Pro allows anyone run Windows and hundreds of other operating systems on a Mac, without rebooting. The app is simple enough for new users, and yet powerful enough for IT professionals, developers, and businesses. Key Features include: MacOS Sierra-Ready VMware Fusion Pro lets you launch virtual machines on Macs with MacOS 10.12 Sierra, or safely test the new macOS in a sandbox. Built for Windows 10 Full support for running Windows 10 as a virtual machine on your Mac. Flexible App Interaction Unity mode hides the Windows desktop so you can run Windows apps as if they were Mac apps; launching directly from Dock, Spotlight or Launchpad and viewable in Exposé, Spaces and Mission Control. Easily interact with Windows apps using Mac shortcuts and intuitive gestures. Snapshots With VMware Fusion Pro you can use Snapshots to create a ‘rollback point’ to revert to on-the-fly. System Requirements: 64-bit capable Intel® Mac (Compatible with Core 2 Duo, Xeon, i3, i5, i7 processors or better).Minimum 4GB of RAM.750MB free disk space for VMware Fusion and at least 5GB for each virtual machine. Operating system installation media (disk or disk image) for virtual machines. Recommended graphics hardware for Windows DirectX 10 or OpenGL 3.3 includes NVIDIA 8600M or better and ATI 2600 or better. Host Operating Systems: Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. MacOS 10.12 Sierra. Guest Operating Systems include: Windows 10 Windows 8.X. Windows 7. Windows XP. Mac OS 10.12 Sierra. Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Ubuntu. RedHat. SUSE. Debian. CentOS. VMware Fusion Pro has been touted as being one of the best virtual machine monitors on macOS. It provides agility, productivity and security every day. The app is extremely easy to navigate by users of all levels of expertise.

VirtualDJ

Antomix Productions (Free)

Disk Drill

Disk Drill allows you to recover data from nearly any type of storage device. No matter what type of storage device you've lost data from, if you can normally connect it to your Mac and view the contents, Disk Drill can scan for deleted files. Have you ever lost a partition on an external hard drive or lost music on an MP3 player? Maybe you have erased photos from a camera? Disk Drill is a great application to help you recover your data. The list of file types Disk Drill can recover is comprehensive. The Quick Scan and Undelete Unprotected Data methods can recover ANY file type. The Deep Scan method can be used in any situation and is able to recognize and recover over 80 different file types, including: Photo files like JPG, PNG and TIFF. Graphic files like AI, PSD and INDD. RAW camera files like CR2, NEF and DNG. Video files like AVI, DV and MP4. Music files like AIF, MP3 and WAV. Document files like DOCX, PPTX and XLSX. With Disk Drill you can recover all major file types and file systems. File systems that Disk Drill can scan include: HFS & HFS+ FAT/FAT32/exFAT NTFS EXT3/EXT4. Disk Drill's Deep Scan method works on ANY file system, even on volumes with missing or corrupted files.

Skype

Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions. Skype uses P2P technology to connect users on a multitude of platforms including desktop, mobile and tablet. The call quality (depending on your internet signal) and additional features like conversation history, conference calling and secure file transfer are excellent. There have been some criticisms over the programs bandwidth usage and security vulnerabilities. New & Mac Features The UI has been refined to improve compatibility with OS X Mavericks and minor audio bugs have also been addressed on the Mac platform. Skype's new contacts list can be integrated with your Mac address book, making searching for contacts much easier. Renaming contacts means you no longer need to search by skype name. Video conferencing is free for up to 10 participants and is also much easier now with the simple call window where you add/remove participants and avoid the distractions of other contacts and conversations that are minimized into the corner of the interface. Microsoft's influence can be seen with the integration of Microsoft Live accounts and the ability to sync those contacts into Skype. Facebook integrations are starting to creep into the newest versions of Skype too. Skype Calling Once you’ve downloaded and installed Skype, you will need to create a user profile and unique Skype name. You can then search for other users in the Skype directory or call them directly using their Skype name. Voice chat comes with conference calling, secure file transfer and a highly secure end to end encryption. Video chat is available on higher bandwidth connections and makes keeping up with distant family/friends much more interactive. Video conferencing and the Screenshare features make Skype popular with the corporate market. Skype’s text chat client features group chat, chat history, message editing and emoticons. Skype also enables calls to landlines and mobiles using a premium paid service. Easy to Use Skype’s UI is very intuitive and easy to use. All the classic messaging service features like profiles, online status, contacts and recent history are displayed in the left navigation. Here you will also find the Skype directory, group options, a search box and premium calling buttons. The right side (main window) opens the content you select. For individual contacts you will see a text message box, chat history and calling options. Call Quality On fast internet connections Skype call quality is excellent for both voice and video calls. The hybrid peer-to-peer client server system means the sound quality is better than most VoIP services. That being said, if you do have a slower internet connection, voice calls may be interrupted or delayed. Video calls will be intermittent and pixelated. Text chat will only be affected by very poor connections. The call quality button will give you detailed information on the expected call quality for each of your contacts (as the quality depends on both parties internet connection). Summary If you’re looking for a reliable and easy to use VoIP client, you’ll find it hard to beat Skype. Microsoft’s purchase of Skype in 2011 has further stabilized the platform and accelerated development as Microsoft used Skype to replace its aging messaging service Windows Live Messenger. Click on the green download button to give it a try. Microsoft no longer allows hosting of their installers. So we are redirecting to their download page.

WhatsApp Messenger for Mac

WhatsApp for Mac is a renowned messaging service that has been around for some time now. Although you can use it on the web, WhatsApp for Mac has launched a desktop app for both Windows and Mac OS X platforms. This new desktop version of the app will be great for some users, as it no longer needs to take up space in your web browser. The new app basically works as an extension of your phone; it mirrors messages and conversations from your device. Using the desktop version of the app comes with advantages including proper native desktop notifications and better keyboard shortcuts. You simply need WhatsApp installed and working on your phone and Mac OS X 10.9 or later. Using the desktop version on your Mac is easy; as soon as you have downloaded and installed the app, you simply need to scan the QR code on the screen with your phone using WhatsApp (Open WhatsApp, click Menu and select WhatsApp Web). Then, as soon as it has been recognised, the desktop app will be linked with your account. It is worth noting that since the desktop app uses your mobile device to sync messages, it would probably be best to ensure that it is connected to Wi-Fi to avoid excessive data usage. Looking for the Windows version of WhatsApp for Mac? Download Here

Opera for Mac

Opera for Mac is a secure web browser that is both fast and rich in features. It has a slick interface that embraces a modern, minimalist look, coupled with stacks of tools to make browsing more enjoyable. These include such tools as Speed Dial, which houses your favorites and Opera Turbo mode, which compresses pages to give you quicker navigation, (even when you have a bad connection).Opera for Mac has everything you need to browse the web via a great interface. From startup it offers a Discover page that brings fresh content to you directly; t displays the news you want by topic, country and language. The Speed dial and bookmarks pages are also available to you at launch, which gives you easy access to the sites you use the most and those you've added to your favorite list.Key features include:Sleek interface.Download manager.Customizable themes.Extensions.Speed dial.Private browsing mode.Discover provides fresh news content. Opera for Mac provides an integrated search and navigation function, which is a common sight among its other, well known, adversaries. Opera for Mac utilizes a single bar for both search and navigation, instead of having two text fields at the top of the screen. This feature obviously keeps the browser window uncluttered, whilst providing you with top functionality.Opera for Mac also includes a download manager, and a private browsing mode that allows you to navigate without leaving a trace. Opera for Mac allows you to install an array of extensions too, so you can customize your browser as you see fit. Although the catalog is significantly smaller than more popular browsers' you'll find versions of Adblock Plus, Feedly, and Pinterest.Opera for Mac is a great browser for the modern web. In terms of numbers of users, it is behind Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Safari. However, it is bang up to date with cutting edge technology and remains a strong contender in the browser wars.Overall, Opera for Mac has an excellent design coupled with top performance; it is both simple and practical. The keyboard shortcuts are similar to other browsers, the available options are varied and the Speed Dial interface is pleasant to use. You can also customize Opera for Mac with themes and make you browsing experience even more personal. So, if you are thinking of trying something different than your usual browser, Opera for Mac could be the choice for you.Looking for the Windows version of Opera? Download HereIn case you are looking for an alternative, you may want to try Avast Secure Browser.Why not check out TechBeat's guide to alternative browsers if you are looking for something a little different.

iMovie

Apple iMovie allows you to create stunning HD movies and Hollywood-style trailers. You can browse your video library and easily share your favourite videos. Videos can be imported from external devices and then easily tweaked, re-arranged and edited before you share them or burn them to a DVD. Features include: Option to sort events in the sidebar by date Change the font, size, and color of new titles Double-click a transition in the timeline to adjust its duration Crop and rotate clips in events Add speed effects using the Adjustments Bar Option to smoothly transition in and out of speed effects