Silo 2 is an extremely accomplished and complex 3D modeling application that is able to switch between what the developers call "high-polygon models" to "controlling hard-edged surfaces."

For anyone new to 3D modeling, this won't mean much and working out how to use Silo will be a job in itself. Silo can be used for creating anything from 3D characters for video games and movies to exploring 3D architectural ideas. So it's great for those developing games or those that are involved in interior design or construction.

This is no user-friendly product, though. It's designed for developers and designers who really know what they're doing as Silo is used at top design studios and professional 3D modelers. However, it's not as complex as something like 3D Studio Max because it's a much smaller package and it does come with extensive documentation to get you started.

You can create some stunning 3D graphics and models with Silo but if you're new to the genre, don't expect to learn it in a hurry.

Download Silo 2.1.1 in Softonic

With the release of Vuze, Azureus is jumping onto the legal torrent bandwagon. This application features the classic and extensive Azureus torrent client and adds to it an online platform from which you can download and submit legal audio and video content.

Vuze’s interface is a complete shake-up to what Azureus users are used to. The bittorrent developer has decided to focus on online multimedia content and introduce user participation. The first thing the user sees is a list of thumbnails of the latest videos uploaded to Vuze. You can browse these files by using the left side menu, divided in time, main channels and tags. The menu at the top also links to hot and new content. Vuze takes the web 2.0 road and you’ll see that most of the files have tags. You can write out a comment and leave a rating. The program also makes it a no brainer to send a video by email and link to content directly from your blog or website. There’s also a little diggit tag for each file, to submit them to the ultra famous social news site. It’s still a shame that Azureus omitted all the other famous social networking sites like del.icio.us or reddit. Maybe in a few months?

If you’re only interested in using Vuze as a torrent client, click the “Advanced tab” and you will be taken to the original Azureus interface. You can open up the gazillion configuration options that have come to define this as the most exhaustive bittorrent client on the planet. There’s even access to extra plug-ins like 3D view, RSS feed scanner or share exporter.

We won’t expand on the qualities of the Azureus client, for which you can read a review here. Vuze tries to innovate by adding social tools to the program and providing legal content. There’s up to nine channels to choose from, be it Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Sabotage the Film School or Travel, yet we were disappointed with the content in general. On some channels there’s very little to watch and on others you don’t necessarily find what you were hoping for. The trailers channel for example, offers new video games trailers instead of releases of movies. However, with Azureus striking up a partnership with the BBC, you’ll soon get Dr Who, The League of Gentleman and Invasion Earth and surely other content providers will flock to Vuze. Taking this into account, Vuze also includes a special tag to let you know if a file is High Definition or not.

On the downside Vuze does nothing to atone the principal drawback to Azureus: the over extensive use of PC memory. Yes, Vuze is still a bandwidth hog, and there’s nothing to do about it. We also find the new interface to be incredibly cluttered. The old downloads and currently downloading windows are too similar to have to be separated and we don’t understand why Vuze includes a Library tab when you can access content straight from the Home tab.

While the whole interface felt a bit clunky, and the number of legal content is still limited, Vuze is a promising application for sharing and enjoying legal content. If you’re already hooked on the original Azureus bittorrent client, take a leap into the future with Vuze.

Download Azureus (Vuze) 3 1.1.0 in Softonic

Orbz is an action/arcade game set in colorful 3D environments. The object of the game is to shoot your orb at targets located throughout 14 distinct courses in a race to score the most points. Game play contains both intense action and also strategy in planning the best scoring shots. Power-ups, like the "Money Shot" and "Curse of the Goober", are also available to either give you a scoring advantage or to slow down your opponents.

In Solo Mode, the player completes a series of progressively difficult challenges that focus on scoring the most points in different scenarios. Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals are awarded for scoring performance and high scores for each challenge are tracked world-wide against all other Orbz players. For every 5 gold medals achieved, the player will also unlock a fancy new Orb to use in Solo or Online mode. Finally, there is a tutorial mode that will teach the player basics controls and scoring strategies.

The Online Mode allows Orbz players to compete against each other over the Internet or Local Area Network. Up to 10 players, including computer opponents called Botz, can join a Lobby where the matches will be coordinated by selecting the course to play, number of rounds in the match, and a per-round time limit. A world-wide ranking system is also available for those who wish to compete for the ultimate title of Orbz Champion.

Download Orbz 2.1 in Softonic

Fractals are fascinating things although I don't understand them one bit - I just like the pretty pictures they make.

Fortunately, no mathematical knowledge is required with ChaosPro which generates several fractals simultaneously in different windows but all at the same time. ChaosPro can create fractal animations, generate 3D fractal transformations in 2D, and create true color fractals. Of course, the processing power required to do this so unless you're working on something NASA might use, you'll be best to connect several PC's together and see what happens.

There are many fractal programs available for Windows but it's precisely the huge processing power that they require that usually ends up in crashes or system failure. They also tend to be very outdated and aimed at scientific or mathematical boffins which is where ChaosPro breaks the mould as a more modern and attractive attempt.

If you like pretty pictures or are seriously studying fractals then ChaosPro is one of the more user friendly and spectacular programs out there.

Download ChaosPro 3.3.215 in Softonic

Believe it or not there was a time when using email was something of a novelty, rather than the routine means of communication it’s become today. If you’re yearning for those halcyon days when emailing was new and exciting then maybe it’s time you found a way to spice up your text life. Incredimail is an email client that allows you to inject a bit of fun into your mail.

The application, which has been around in various forms for some years now, allows you to insert audio and visual elements such as background images, animated pictures or humorous (or at least supposedly humorous) noises. It’s clear from the outset that the program is aimed at the less technical user from the set-up wizard that makes it incredibly easy to register your accounts and import your existing mail from either Outlook or your webmail account.

Once you’ve got the app up and running, you’ll find a truly impressive range of backgrounds, fonts, emoticons and all manner of other bells and whistles that you can browse through and add to your messages effortlessly. There’s also a wealth of downloadable extras you can find on the web should you want to add even more variety to your outgoing mail.

In terms of its basic mail features Incredimail is very similar to Outlook Express, though the junk filtering system is a little difficult to set up, which isn’t really in keeping with the rest of the program. Another interesting touch is the addition of a ‘mail servant,’ which notifies you of new mail even before you’ve opened the client. The default is in the form of an animated butler, although this can be changed if, or should we say when, you become annoyed with him.

There’s no doubt that the program provides an interesting way of making your emails appear more interesting. The trouble is, one person’s idea of fun is another’s vision of tackiness hell, and festooning your messages with all these gimmicks means mail takes longer to download, which is doubly annoying for dial-up users. Although we personally wouldn’t want to subject our friends to animated kisses, jumping clowns or burp sounds, Incredimail certainly provides a novel way of making your emails stand out from the rest.

Download IncrediMail Xe 5.85.3718 in Softonic

Google's satellite imagery software has truly changed the way we look at the globe. The application lets you zoom in on any part of the world and for some places, observe from a few meters away.

Google Earth not only displaces satellite images but it also includes terrains and sometimes 3D reconstruction of buildings. You can look for directions and businesses, just like in Google Maps and pinpoint areas or draw on maps straight in Google Earth.

Google Earth includes a very wide, and constantly increasing library of layers, which you can add to the map to enrich your experience. You'll find all sorts of information, from historical landscapes to national parks, regions where you can find endangered species or tourist spots. Google Earth will also showcase more news related information such as forest fires or tsunamis.

If stars is what you are into, turn to the Space mode and navigate among the constellations.

Moving around in Google Earth is incredibly intuitive thanks to the multiple navigation tools. Some areas will show less information than others, and Google Earth is known to use up a substantial amount of bandwidth, but it remains a fascinating piece of software

Google Earth is as of yet an unequalled application. Browse around the world, zoom into streets or go up and gaze at the stars. Millions of possibilities.

Download Google Earth 4.3 Beta in Softonic

If you fancy designing a new website for yourself, then turn back now, Twisted Brush has not been developed to give clean crisp graphics, and will frustrate you unless you use it for what it was designed for, art. Having established that this is a program for drawing, it follows that the most natural way to sketch anything and in turn to use this software effectively is with a pen and a drawing tablet.

When the program starts, you’re assaulted by the quick-start guide that is designed to gently introduce you to the features. In reality it’s a bunch of screenshots crammed with info bubbles that contain un-detailed information and no links to find out more. That said, how many people stop to read welcome screens anyway?

A lot of effort was put into making TwistedBrush a realistic substitute for actual painting and when you start working with the various brushes you see just how well they interact with the colors to create a convincing portrait. Undoubtedly the greatest strength of this program is the vast selection of brush types and styles that are available to use. From simple fine pens, to wet oil brushes, to progressive 3D designs, you’ll find them all. The beauty of each brush is that they can be used quickly and easily, with stunning effects.

You will also find support for all the major image file formats, including TIFF, PSD, JPG, GIF, and PNG and there is an option to create a script, either to record the steps taken in the painting process, to insert a message, or to insert random dabs of paint, something that doesn’t quite seem to add to the functionality (although any Dadaists out there may disagree about that).

While getting to grips with the program, it seemed that there was one feature that had been unforgettably forgotten, the select tool. After using Photoshop for so long, this seems like a key tool in any imaging software that the TwistedBrush developers have overlooked. Alternatively it could be the very omission of the select tool that sets this program apart with the production process being more of an evolution rather than a construction.

TwistedBrush is a quality painting application that, judging from its interface and features, is aimed at anyone with a drawing tablet. There are tons of great brushes to experiment with but for anyone relying on the lowly mouse and the lack of a selection tool, it may become very frustrating, very quickly.

Download TwistedBrush Pro Studio 15.51 in Softonic

Scrabble has always been one of my favorite board games, not only because I'm good at words, but because I've had loads of fun playing it. This is why I'm happy to be able to play it again with Letter Rack 3D.

Letter Rack 3D is a Scrabble clone beautifully rendered in a three-dimensional environment. The game looks incredibly real, you almost feel like touching the letter tiles. Plus, the design and rules are exactly the same as the original board game, so you'll immediately get the knack of it: try to create as many words as possible with the letter selection on your rack, and place them on the appropriate spot to make use of the different bonuses available on the board. Letter Rack 3D features a relaxing background soundtrack as well, which adds the final touch to the game.

Letter Rack 3D supports up to four simultaneous players and has also a multilingual dictionary you can use to look words up or ask for hints. What's more, this dictionary can be updated with new words from players. In short, Letter Rack 3D is a must-have for all word puzzle lovers.

If you like Scrabble, you're going to love Letter Rack 3D: a beautiful 3D Scrabble clone for up to four players and multilingual dictionary.

Download Letter Rack 3D 6.0.2.4 in Softonic

As a cycling fan you never miss any race or championship. But what if you could manage your own team? With Pro Cycling Manager it's really easy!

Pro Cycling Manager puts you in control of a complete cycling team with a very clear objective: managing every single aspect of a professional sports team and winning all the competitions you enter. So, if you expected a cycling simulator where you could pedal tirelessly with your keyboard, you're wrong: Pro Cycling Manager is more about the strategic part of cycling, not the racing one.

In Pro Cycling Manager you'll have to decide which competitions to enter, get sponsors to cover expenses, buy and upgrade the equipment for your team and hire the best cyclists in the world. Once the race arrives, Pro Cycling Manager lets you choose between a simulation or a 3D race where you have the chance to manage cyclists as if you were following them from the car.

The graphics Pro Cycling Manager are very realistic and include real cyclists' names and uniforms. On the downside, I missed having more possibilities to take action in the game and thus feel more immersed in the competition.

Manage your own cycling team in Pro Cycling Manager and win the most important cycling competitions in the world.

Download Pro Cycling Manager Season 2008 in Softonic

Before you get confused - Downfall has nothing to do with that film about Hitler which documents his final days.

Downfall is actually a lot lighter than that - a fun arcade puzzle game, that pretty much rips off Tetris and the Columns game by Sega. If nothing else, Downfall is remarkably easy to learn - you simply have to drop stacks of colored blocks to form lines that then "connect" and disappear. Downfall has 30 different formats and playing boards to play on and the 3D graphics and animations are very smooth if not particularly impressive.

Each different playing board is littered with potential stumbling blocks such as sticks of dynamite, snow shovels and wrecking balls etc. Each Downfall board therefore requires a particular level of skill and presents a different challenge if you get bored with one or the other. You can also import and export high scores from Downfall which is handy for comparing with friends and family although it would be much easier if these were just stored online under a profile or something. It does maintain the highest score however even after it's closed down, meaning you've always got something to aim for.

Downfall is not particularly original or blessed with great graphics but it's a decent time waster that will provide at least a few hours of fun.

Download Downfall 2.7.3 in Softonic

MarbleSheep is a fun three-dimensional maze game in which you have to lead a cute sheep through different stages, getting over all sorts of obstacles.

Alhough it sounds more like a game for children, MarbleSheep is actually quite challenging. You have to move along 3D floating corridors – from where it's really easy to fall – and get over cliffs, jumps, walls and other obstacles on your way.

Luckily there are also a few power-ups you can collect in MarbleSheep that enable you to fly over walls, fall without hurting yourself and so on. In spite of having only five levels available, the MarbleSheep demo gives you a good view of the whole game. Just one tip: use both the keyboard – to move the sheep – and the mouse – to change perspective – in order to have full control of you way at all times.

The graphics in MarbleSheep are certainly not impressive. The 3D engine moves quite smoothly, but characters and objects are designed with very squared lines. Also, the game's installation process is in German (simply keep on clicking "Weiter" to go through all the steps).

With Marble Sheep you can put your spatial coordination skills to test, while you try to reach the end of the stage in these colorful labyrinths.

Download MarbleSheep 1.01 in Softonic

DirectX is one of the most powerful and problematic graphics engines and when it comes to gaming, can be a blessing or a curse.

A blessing because it allows such brilliant special effects and add ons but a curse because it is so prone to bugs and crashes. Construct allows you to create stunning DirectX animations and gaming add ons without causing too much of the latter. It's a WYSIWYG editor that requires a certain amount of DirectX programming knowledge but does not entirely exclude beginners. YIn fact, you needn't even take your hand off the mouse for the most part - you can simply drag and drop and manipulate your graphics in the way you want to with tons of options for specialists kinds of movements and objects. You can preview all of your creations in real time before you save them and save them directly to EXE files so they can be executed directly by others without the need to install the program. With advanced rendering effects such as motion blur, skewing and 3D lighting this is one DirectX programming environment to be reckoned with.

An excellent DirectX programming environment that's suitable for experts but also can be worked out by beginners.

Download Construct 0.96.2 in Softonic

Even though external hard drive sizes are increasing at a rapid rate, you can always find more space on your drive if you just look hard enough.

SpaceObServer is a sophisticated and effective hard disk space manager which scans directory trees using a background service, and stores their structure, sizes and properties in an SQL database. Why would you want to do this? Well, for one, it automatically allows you to see - in pie chart form - what's taking up most space on your hard drive at any one time. In addition, if you're interested in tracking your hard disk usage across several months or a long time period, then it allows you to do so instantly. For Windows users, it's very effective because it presents the data in a very easy Explorer style format - in 3D bar, pie charts and tree maps. The good thing is you can see at a glance which files are obsolete and which files are essential so that when it comes to cleaning up your drive, you don't get rid of anything important. It's surprising, using this program, how many files you'll find that are simply taking up space and are absolutely useless.

Easy to use and very effective, SapceObserver is an excellent app that will have your hard drive gleaming again in no time.

Download SpaceObServer 3.3.2 in Softonic

Phun is a typically Swedish invention - functional, free, educational but fun at the same time. If you're studying physics then you should get a lot of enjoyment out of this "game".

The game allows you to explore the forces of gravity and friction plus aspects of density, elasticity, viscosity and inertia in a "virtual sandbox". This basically allows you to create two-dimensional objects and then see how these react according to different physical forces. The game is hugely effective at creating realistic states and effects and forces on your objects. It's a shame that it doesn't support 3D objects although the developers say this has been done to make the interface simpler.

To think that this project was developed by a student at Umea university is quite amazing too. In this latest version, they've ironed out many of the bugs that were plaguing the program. For instance, previously water would not show behind transparent objects and water rendering in general was very poor. That's now all been fixed meaning that any effects involving water are now much more realistic. Probably the most useful enhancement however has been the added ability to pan by holding down both mouse buttons (left and right). This means you can pan anytime, anywhere: in the middle of drawing a polygon you can pan away and then continue drawing, and you can start panning without access to the background.

The developers have also added Czech, German, Spanish and Portuguese translations of the game for the first time. Note that you can watch Phun in action here.

A great little application that proves simple physical concepts in an fun and interactive way.

Download Phun 4.12 Beta in Softonic

SolSuite 2008 is a high-quality collection of 449 solitaire games. All your favorite games are implemented: Spider, Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Busy Aces, Canfield, Forty Thieves, Four Seasons, Carpet, Flower Garden, Rouge et Noir, Monte Carlo... and original solitaires that you cannot find elsewhere.

Each solitaire has more than nine trillion possible shuffles to play, so the game remains fresh no matter how many times you play. Enjoy the detailed statistics of each game with graphs, 3D charts (pies and bars) and tables to estimate your skill level (by total, current session, series of wins and losses, players' games won, players' score, hi-scores...), statistics for All Games, Won games, Not Won games, Over Average, Under Average...

For solitaire lovers, SolSuite 2008 is a guaranteed pleasure. Each of the games is fun and exciting and will keep you entertained for hours. If you like solitaire games, then you'll want to add SolSuite 2006 to your collection.

Download SolSuite 2008 8.6 in Softonic

Turret Wars is a fast paced 3D arcade game, where you battle against enemy gun turrets, finding and destroying them before they find and destroy you!

Choose from 6 amazing playing environments, each with their own difficulties and strategies, or select RANDOM and let the game select random environments for you.

Choose from four different gun turret types, each with slightly different weapon and armor or projectile features. Computer controlled enemy turrets will be chosen as a random selection of these turret types.

You get the choice of fighting against one to seven other computer controlled gun turrets, in three different difficulty levels. Each difficulty level also introduces differing wind conditions.

High scores are saved on our game server (if you have an active internet connection) so you can compare your scores against other players around the world, based on difficulty level, environment and enemy turrets being fought.

Download Turret Wars 1.6 in Softonic

I may be good at Photoshop but when it comes to 3D design I'm completely hopeless. This is why I was excited to find a program like 3DVIA Shape, with which I can create basic three-dimensional objects in no time.

Using 3DVIA Shape is a cinch. In fact, I'd say it's even easier than Photoshop and of course, much easier than other 3D tools you may have tested so far. This app could be defined as the "Paint" equivalent for 3D design; that is, a basic, simple-to-use graphic editor with which you can safely take your first steps into 3D creation.

The program includes a tutorial that launches automatically when you run it for the first time and which I strongly recommend you to follow, because it teaches you all the basics of the program in just a dozen steps. After completing the tutorial, you'll be ready to start creating your own three-dimensional figures. Of course they're going to be basic designs combining cubes, spheres and a few lines but hey, that's a start!

One thing I didn't like about 3DVIA Shape is the fact that you must create a free user account to use the program - whether you like it or not - and that you can't save your files to your hard drive, you have to publish them to your account on the 3DVIA website. The trick is, once you've published your 3D model to your account, you can visit your profile and download it as a 3DXML file.

if you want to take your first steps in 3D design but have no idea where to start, try 3DVIA Shape: a basic, easy-to-use 3D editor for beginners which also lets you share your creations online.

Download 3DVIA Shape Beta in Softonic

3DField is a contouring surface plotting and 3D data program. The application converts your data into contour maps and surface plots. All aspects of 2D or 3D maps can be customized to produce exactly the presentation you want.

Features of 3DField:

• Result maps
• Export to Autocad file
• Save as 3DF file or PNG
• Seven gridding methods (Radial Basis Functions, Inverse Distances, Triangulation, Kriging, Minimum Curvature, Natural Neighbors, Linear System )
• Automatic or user-defined contour intervals and ranges
• Control over contour label format, font, frequency and spacing
• Automatic or user-defined color for contour lines
• Color and texture fill between contours, either user-specified or as an automatic spectrum of your choice
• Base map attached to data points
• Regression 2D data
• Splines for lines and contours
• View and zoom BMP, GIF, PNG, JPG, TIFF and GeoTIFF images
• Automatically and manually digitize image
• Import and export lines
• Ascending or descending sort for values or coordinates of points

Download 3DField 2.9.7 in Softonic

DirectX is a package of special libraries developed by Microsoft that attempt to improve and optimize audiovisual performance on your system.

These drivers enable you to make the most of modern graphic cards with 3D capabilities, which makes them generally advisable for multimedia tasks and an absolute must-have for gamers – in fact, DirectX is usually a compulsory requirement to install certain games.

Installing DirectX on your computer is as easy as launching the executable file, which in turn will download some necessary components from the web. Then just follow the wizard's instructions and you're done.

Note that, when installed, this new version will overwrite any other previous versions you may have of Directx.

DirectX is an indispensable package of drivers and libraries to achieve an optimal level of performance in games and multimedia on your system.

Download DirectX 9.23.1350 in Softonic

Side Effects' Houdini software is renowned as one of the world's best 3D animation and visual effects tool. Whether you're a student learning all there is to 3D design or a professional creating animations you'll need to get hold of this app.

The application comes with a set of powerful tools and effects, such as factures and debris, wave or impressive fire and smoke effects. The advanced fur system also ensures fur on animals looks realistic.

Another strong feature of the application is its node based workflow. All changes you make to an animation are saved as nodes in a network by Houdini, sou you can establish connections and quickly move through your modifications. The node based workflow also makes it easy to collaborate with other users on the same project.

One of the latest features you'll find in Houdini is Autodesk FBX Export, which improves integration of the program with other software. This new feature supports numerous parameters such as lights, skeletons, weighted skins or particles.

You'll probably have gotten this by now: Houdini is a powerful application. This is why you really need 64 bit processors to run it properly. The free version does have a few limitations, notably regarding the format and resolution, but it's well worth having, just for the quality of the program.

Houdini Apprentice is a top notch 3D animation and visual effects application. Highly recommended!

Download Houdini Apprentice 9.5.134 Beta in Softonic