Free Software Lounge

Vuze (Azureus) - BitTorrent Client

2008-11-22T12:25:00.004-05:00

Vuze (formerly Azureus) is a java bittorrent client offering multiple torrent downloads, queuing/priority systems (on torrents and files), start/stop seeding options and instant access to numerous pieces of information about your torrents.

Vuze now features an embedded tracker easily set up and ready to use.

Please note that it requires the latest Java Runtime Environment to work.

Download Vuze

DVD Flick - DVD Authoring

2008-11-22T12:10:00.006-05:00

DVD Flick aims to be a simple but at the same time powerful DVD Authoring tool. It can take a number of video files stored on your computer and turn them into a DVD that will play back on your DVD player, Media Center or Home Cinema Set. You can add additional custom audio tracks, subtitles as well as a menu for easier navigation.

Key Features

* Burn near any video file to DVD
* Support for over 45 file formats
* Support for over 60 video codecs
* Support for over 40 audio codecs
* Easily add a menu
* Add your own subtitles
* Easy to use interface
* Burn your project to disc after encoding
* Completely free without any adware, spyware or limitations

Download DVD Flick

CDBurnerXP - CD/DVD Burner

2008-11-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs.

It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.

Key Features:

* burn all kinds of discs
* audio-CDs with or without gaps between tracks
* burn and create ISO files
* data verification after burning process
* create bootable discs
* multi-language interface
* bin/nrg → ISO converter, simple cover printing and much more!
* Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista

Download CDBurnerXP

CCleaner - System Optimization

2008-11-22T11:55:00.005-05:00

CCleaner is a system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system--allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.

It cleans: Internet Explorer (temporary files, URL history, cookies, autocomplete form history, index.dat); Firefox (temporary files, URL history, cookies, download history); Windows (Recycle Bin, Recent Documents, Temporary files, and Log files); Registry cleaner (advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including file extensions, ActiveX controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, application paths, icons, and invalid shortcuts. So comes with a comprehensive backup feature.

Get CCleaner

FireFox 3.0 - Web Browser

2008-11-22T11:12:00.009-05:00

The award-winning Mozilla Firefox Web browser is enjoyed by tens of millions of people worldwide, and has re-ignited innovation and competition on the Web.

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; tab-browsing; integrated Google search; simplified privacy controls; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

Download FireFox Now!

One of the many great features of FireFox is the plethora of Add-ons (plug-ins) available. After installing FireFox, check-out the "Best FireFox Extentions" list over at http://bestfirefoxextentions.blogspot.com/

LogMeIn Free - Secure Remote Access

2008-11-17T09:31:00.003-05:00

LogMeIn Free allows you to remotely access a Windows PC from any other Internet-connected computer.

Once the software has been installed on a given PC, you can get into that PC, using a different computer or wireless device, via the LogMeIn web site--even through a firewall or router. Wherever you happen to be, if you can get to a browser or wireless PDA, you can sign in to LogMeIn, choose the target PC you wish to access (you can add more than one to your list), and browse directories, run programs, open files, or check and send e-mail.

The PC you'll access remotely must be turned on, have the LogMeIn Free program installed, and be running IE or Firefox under Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP, or Server 2003. The LogMeIn Free software you download initially functions as a trial version of LogMeIn Pro, with premium features such as file transfers and remote printing. But when the trial period is over, you can continue to use LogMeIn Free, for business or personal use, without having to reinstall the software.

The initial set-up is quick and painless. Just be aware that when you sign up for LogMeIn, you'll be prompted for a password even before you download the software. Choose something secure, because this is the same password you'll use to access the service.

LogMeIn Homepage

VLC Media Player and Streaming Server

2008-11-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

VLC Media Player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.

VLC media player can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.

Download VLC Media Player

Audacity Audio Editor

2008-11-17T09:18:00.001-05:00

With so many audio editors out there, finding the right tool for the job can be tricky. The multiplatform, open-source editor Audacity has leaped to the top of our list with its clean interface, excellent features, and support for 32-bit floating-point audio.

The Audacity editor can record and play sounds and import and export WAV, AIFF, MP3, and OGG files. Edit your sounds using cut, copy, and paste features (with unlimited undo functionality), mix tracks, or apply effects to your recordings. The program also has a built-in amplitude-envelope editor, a customizable spectrogram mode, and a frequency-analysis window for audio-analysis applications. Built-in effects include bass boost, wah wah, and noise removal, and the program also supports VST plug-in effects.

Supports Windows, OSX and Linux

Download Audacity

TVersity Streaming Media Server for Windows

2008-11-17T08:51:00.002-05:00

TVersity is a completely free media server that offers many benefits over using Windows Media Connect or other servers. The Universal Media Server for Home and Internet Content. TVersity can handle almost any media format and streaming protocol whether it is coming from your home network or the Internet including live and on-demand Internet streams.

Stream everything directly to your networked TVs, DVDs, Stereo Receivers, Digital Media Adapaters/Receivers, Xbox 360, Mobile Phones, Satellite, Cable set-top-boxes, Mobile Phones, PDAs, Sony PSP, PS3, iTunes/iPod and more.

TVersity Screenshots:

TVersity Download | TVersity Review | Install Guide

FileZilla - FTP, FTPS, SFTP Client

2008-11-11T20:44:00.002-05:00

FileZilla Client is a fast and reliable cross-platform FTP, FTPS and SFTP client with lots of useful features and an intuitive interface.

Main Features:

Easy to use
Supports FTP, FTP over SSL / TLS (FTPS) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)
Cross-platform. Runs on Windows, Linux,
BSD, OSX and more
Available in many languages
Supports resume and transfer of large files > 4GB
Powerful Site Manager and transfer queue
Drag & drop support
Configurable Speed limits
Filename filters
Network configuration wizard

FileZilla for Windows

FileZilla_3.1.5_win32-setup.exe
FileZilla_3.0.9.1_win32.zip

FileZilla for Linux

FileZilla_3.1.5_i586-linux-gnu.tar.bz2

FileZilla for Mac OS X

FileZilla_3.0.9.1_i686-apple-darwin9.app.tar.bz2 (Intel)
FileZilla_3.1.5_powerpc-apple-darwin9.app.tar.bz2 (PowerPC G4)

Requires OS X 10.5 or newer

COMODO - The best Free Windows Firewall

2008-11-11T10:36:00.001-05:00

Comodo Firewall is a personal firewall that filters ingoing and outgoing traffic on your computer. It alerts you of any applications that attempts to connect to the Internet and allows you to permanently or temporarily allow or block the connection. Advanced users can customize the application and TCP/IP rules based on IP address, protocol and destination port, however this is not required unless you have a reason to customize the rules. In addition to application behavior and network connections, Comodo Firewall also monitors components (dll files etc.) that initiate network connections, as well as parent processes and modifications to executables (checksum verification).

COMODO Description:

Complete protection from Hackers, Spyware etc.
Secures against internal and external attacks
Host Intrusion Prevention System stops malware ever being installed
Delivers total end-point security for Personal Computers and Networks

Other features include attack prevention (port scanning, flooding), adjustable security levels, trusted networks, activity log and more. Comodo Firewall is easy to use for novice users, but includes enough flexibility via custom rule settings that allow advanced users to tweak it for their needs.

Homepage: http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/

Direct Download: 32 bit/64 bit

WAMP5 Server - Apache, PHP, MySQL

2008-11-11T09:33:00.001-05:00

WampServer is a service manager that installs Apache, PHP5, MySQL database, PHPmyadmin and SQLitemanager on your computer. It´s principal aim is to allow you to easily discover the new version of PHP: PHP5. WampServer comes with a service manager installed as a tray icon. It allows you to manage WampServer and access all services.

When you install WampServer, all the files are copied in the directory you choose. Conf files are then modified to point to that directory. It also installs a "www" directory which will be your Document Root.At the end of the installation, WampServer will automatically install Apache and MySQL as services:

service´ wampapache´: apache service
service ´wampmysql´: mysql service

WAMP5´s installation is compact. This means that all files are copied to WampServer's directory. Only the MySQL conf file (usually my.ini) is copied to the Windows directory but as "mywamp.ini" to avoid conflicts with other installs.
What's New in version 2.0c:

now using PHP 5.2.6
now using MySQL 5.0.51b
now using phpMyAdmin 2.11.6
corrected notice messages on index page
corrected fancyindex in Apache

Homepage: http://www.wampserver.com

Direct Download version 2.0c

Putty SSH Client

2008-11-11T09:21:00.002-05:00

PuTTY is a client for SSH, Telnet and Rlogin connections. SSH (Secure SHell) is a high-security protocol that uses strong cryptography to protect your connection against eavesdropping, hijacking and other attacks; Telnet and Rlogin are both older protocols offering minimal security. Putty supports SSH1, SSH2 and OpenSSH as well as port and X11 forwarding. You can also use PuTTY to make a raw TCP connection. Session configurations can be saved for later use. Since various existing SSH servers have bugs, PuTTY looks at the version number at the beginning of the SSH connection and will attempt to detect which bugs it can expect to see in the server and automatically enable workarounds.

PuTTY comes with various other tools: PSCP (PuTTY Secure Copy client), a tool for transferring files securely between computers using an SSH connection; PSFTP (PuTTY Secure FTP client), another secure file transfer tool, but using the SSH2's SFTP protocol; Plink (PuTTY Link), a command-line connection tool similar to UNIX ssh, mostly used for automated operations, such as CVS. PuTTYgen (PuTTY key generator), generates pairs of public and private keys, supports RSA and DSA keys; Pageant, an SSH authentication agent: it holds your private keys in memory, already decoded, so that you can use them often without needing to type a passphrase.

Homepage: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

Direct Download

OpenOffice

2008-11-09T17:28:00.001-05:00

More than a mere rival to Microsoft Office, the open-source OpenOffice.org (for Windows and Mac) includes the powerful applications for creating text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams, and databases that make it a serious Office competitor. It lets you edit basic documents and save them in a variety of formats, it's robust enough to handle equations and complex multipart documents with bibliographies, reference tables, and indexes, and on top of all that, it's extensible and uses less RAM than MS Office. What's not to love?

Download OpenOffice Suite

Opera

2008-11-09T15:37:00.001-05:00

A full-featured Internet browser, Opera includes pop-up blocking, tabbed browsing, integrated searches, and advanced functions like Opera's groundbreaking E-mail program, RSS Newsfeeds and IRC chat. And because we know that our users have different needs, you can customize the look and content of your Opera browser with a few clicks of the mouse.

Opera Features:

* Tabbed browsing and pop-up blocking
* Opera integrated search
* Integrated search
* Improved security
* Password manager
* Opera skins
* Customization
* Integrated voice features
* Full support for Gmail
* Atom newsfeeds
* First Web browser to natively support Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)

Homepage: http://www.opera.com/download/

7-Zip

2008-11-09T15:23:00.001-05:00

7-Zip is an open source file archiver predominantly for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It operates either as a command line program or with a graphical user interface. It also features integration with the Windows shell environment. 7-Zip is free software, distributed under the GNU LGPL license.

Features:

* High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA compression
* 7-Zip is free software distributed under the GNU LGPL
* Supported formats: 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, RPM and DEB
* For ZIP and GZIP formats 7-Zip provides compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
* Self-extracting capability for 7z format
* Integration with Windows Shell
* Powerful File Manager
* Powerful command line version
* Plugin for FAR Manager
* Localizations for 55 languages

Download 7-Zip

Notepad++

2008-11-09T14:53:00.002-05:00

Notepad++ is a free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Here are the features of Notepad++ :

Syntax Highlighting and Syntax Folding
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get
User Defined Syntax Highlighting
Auto-completion
Multi-Document
Multi-View
Regular Expression Search/Replace supported
Full Drag ‘N' Drop supported
File Status Auto-detection
Multi-Language environment supported

Download Notepad++

Aptana Studio - Free HTML Editor and IDE

2008-11-07T10:19:00.001-05:00

Aptana Studio is an open source Web IDE, an application for creating web sites — like Dreamweaver. It includes support for HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, and XML. If you forget a Javascript command, use Aptana’s built-in reference manual. Other features include tabs, a debugger, syntax highlighting, and multiple panes. Aptana is also available for Windows and Linux, and as an Eclipse plugin. If you design or develop web sites, give Aptana a try.

Supported OS:

Windows - x86 architecture (32-bit)
Mac OS - OS X \ PowerPC architecture, OS X \ Intel architecture. OS X 10.4 or later
Linux - x86 architecture, GTK windowing system

Homepage: http://www.aptana.com

Picasa 3 - Photo Management

2008-11-06T18:56:00.001-05:00

Picasa is a software application for organizing and editing digital photos, originally created by Idealab and now owned by Google. "Picasa" is a blend of the name of Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, the phrase mi casa for "my house," and "pic" for pictures (personalized art). In July 2004, Google acquired Picasa and began offering Picasa for free download.

System Requirements:
Windows XP/Vista or Linux
256MB RAM
100MB available hard disk space

You can grab Picasa 3 over at http://picasa.google.com/

What is Freeware vs. Open Source

2008-10-05T18:08:00.001-04:00

What is Freeware:

Freeware is software offered free of charge, downloadable off of the Internet. If the software requires the user to view ads while using the program, it is technically not freeware but adware. Freeware is also different from shareware in that shareware requires a payment if the software is to be used past a trial date.

Though freeware does not require financial compensation, it does have a user license or EULA (End User License Agreement). Each license is specific to the freeware it is bundled with, but some restrictions are common to most programs. For example, most freeware forbids the user to alter the program, repackage it, or sell it. It might allow redistribution, however, as long as the program is unchanged and the license agreement intact.

Understandably, freeware does not often come with technical support, and some programs do not have an extensive Help menu. Many freeware operators write programs in their spare time and do not have the resources to offer tech support. That said, other freeware programs not only have an extensive built-in manual, but they also have their own websites with FAQs and USENET newsgroups dedicated to users helping users. Some authors of freeware personally answer email from end users, though this can't be counted upon.

Often, a program is only available as freeware if it is for personal use, while commercial or business use requires a paid license. It is important to read any license that comes with the freeware program. The license will appear during the initial stages of the installation process. As with most software, freeware is offered "as is" and the user assumes all responsibility for its use.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-freeware.htm

What is Open Source:

Most software that you buy or download only comes in the compiled ready-to-run version. Compiled means that the actual program code that the developer created, known as the source code, has run through a special program called a compiler that translates the source code into a form that the computer can understand (see How C Programming Works for details on compilers). It is extremely difficult to modify the compiled version of most applications and nearly impossible to see exactly how the developer created different parts of the program. Most commercial software manufacturers see this as an advantage that keeps other companies from copying their code and using it in a competing product. It also gives them control over the quality and features found in a particular product.

Open source software is at the opposite end of the spectrum. The source code is included with the compiled version and modification or customization is actually encouraged. The software developers who support the open source concept believe that by allowing anyone who's interested to modify the source code, the application will be more useful and error-free over the long term.

Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question435.htm

About FreeSoftwareLounge

2008-10-01T17:36:00.003-04:00

Hi and welcome to the Free Software Lounge (FSL) website. The purpose for this website is simply to track all the great freeware and open Source software available on the Internet.

We have come to the realization that for almost every commerical application, a free alternative is available. Of course not all "free" software is of equal status or quality. This site aims to present the best free software that we have come across in their respective categories. FSL will not include software known to include adware/spyware, shareware, time limits (trialware) or other such tactics. The term free in our opinin should be just that "free". We know there can be confusion as to what is Freeware vs. Open Source, please see this link for clarification.

Enjoy!

Contact Us

2008-10-01T09:04:00.002-04:00

Use the form below to submit or recommend Free software to our listing.