Unlike some video conferencing applications, Oovoo is very easy to get running with your webcam and it can handle very high quality cameras - up to 2 megapixels, depending on the speed of your connection. During chats and video calls, you can add video effects such as sepia, blurring and morphing, something that sets it apart from other popular VoIP apps like Skype.

With ooVoo you can talk face-to-face with up to six people, add an ooVoo link to your blog or online profiles (so others can instantly add you to their contacts), send and receive video messages and, best of all, it's completely free. You will need to create an Oovoo account however, which, as registrations go, is fairly painless.

Once you've started the setup process, you'll be asked to create an ooVoo username and password. You'll also be asked to add a few friends and contacts to your ooVoo account although if you don't know anyone using ooVoo, you can simply elect to send invites and hope that they sign up.

What's really nice about ooVoo, though, is the ability to place your contacts, and their video images, down the side of your screen in a sidebar simultaneously. This way, you can chat away to all of them at the same time and see them at once.

Unfortunately, at the moment ooVoo is not compatible with Lion although the developers claim that they will release a compatible version soon.

OOvoo’s an impressive video chat app, although it would be interesting to see how it performs when multiple users are trying have a video conference.

Download ooVoo 3.1.0.17 in Softonic

With Skype you can call other Skype users absolutely free wherever they are in the world thanks to P2P technology. Skype brings together the main functions of talk, chat, video, file sharing and screen sharing in one main window. In the latest release, by default your contacts list is on the left with the other basic functions in the main part of the program window making it more streamlined and slicker than previous releases.

New in Skype 5 is the ability to video conference with up to ten participants. Group conferencing has also been made easier thanks to the redesigned call window which means that all distractions (such as other conversations) are minimized and only the names of participants displayed. However, although you can video chat with one contact for free, group video conferencing is now a premium feature which you have to pay for,

Skype features a new contacts list sorted by category and you can add favorites to the top of the list. Searching for them has also been made easier by integrating them with your Mac address book. You can also now rename contacts so that you're not stuck with their default username. Finally, accessing Skype is now easier thanks to a mini Skype control bar that sits on top of any web pages, documents or photos you've got open although some may find this a bit intrusive.

Although the latest Skype adds many improvements, some people may miss the smaller and more discreet interface of Skype 2.8. There is a feeling that the developers have gone a bit over the top in expanding Skype and "hiding" certain features and it will take users of the old version some getting used to. The fact that video conferencing is now a premium feature will also annoy many faithful users.

Finally, most recently Skype was taken over by Microsoft which has led to further integration with Microsoft services among other things. You can now sign into Skype with your Microsoft Live account details for example and chat to MSN contacts online using Skype. There's also been considerable integration with Facebook allowing you to chat and communicate with Facebook contacts from Skype.

The new Skype brings video conferencing and a more intelligent user interface that once you've adapted to, should make Skype an even better way to keep in touch while you're away. However, those that don't like the interface changes will be less than impressed and can still download version 2.8.

Download Skype 6.4.0.833 in Softonic

Interesting alternative to Skype and Messages

Rock-solid syncing with mobile devices

Slick, easy to use interface

Reliable syncing and good quality video

A solid IM and VoIP client

Download Viber 3.0.0 in Softonic

Every now and then you need clean your Mac and get rid of cookies, logs or history. It'll ensure that your Mac isn't clogged with obsolete files and runs smoothly.

Mac Cleanse is a shareware program mainly focused on cleaning internet applications, like browsers. It provides a list of the applications you can clean, and clicking on a a name will open up a drop down menu of the elements you can check for deletion, such as cookies, downloads, or recent searches. The right side of the interface features an information panel with a description for the selected application, something which isn't really necessary.

We were a little confused by the way Mac Cleanse worked. The + and - buttons on the left won't let you add more applications to the cleanse list. Instead these let you create or remove custom selections of the applications in the list. The 'cleanse' button isn't very apparent either. You'll find it on the bottom right of the interface.

The good thing about Mac Cleanse though is that it lets you select and clean multiple applications quickly and safely, saving you lots of time.

Despite the slightly counterintuitive interface, Mac Cleanse is efficient at cleaning up multiple internet applications at once.

Download MacCleanse 3.3.1 in Softonic

Skype has made the technology accessible to all through it’s simple and fun-to-use chat-style interface and although this version has now been superseded by version 5, some users may still prefer it because of its slimmer interface.

Version 2 also contains some decent additions to the previous version, most notably its webcam facilities. This means you can now watch your buddies as you chat to them and let them see you if you want.

You can use the program to chat with other Skype users anywhere in the world for free either via telephone or the built-in chat feature. However, some overly optimistic users may be disappointed to learn that you still need to pay for credits to make calls to landlines and mobiles with Skype, through the SkypeOut function. Luckily, this is a very painless process, and Skype has recently added a plethora of different ways to pay.

The program is perhaps even easier to use than ever, with streamlined new tools such as the ability to add a contact from the main Skype window and contact grouping for arranging your friends, family and colleagues into categories. You can even import contacts from Outlook, and find out if any of these use Skype. The changes to the interface and its icons may confuse existing users for a while, but once you get used to it, the new GUI is arguably more intuitive than ever.

As we’ve come to expect there’s plenty you can do other than just having a two-way conversation with a friend, including inviting other users into a conference, setting up chatrooms, exchanging files, and viewing the history of your contacts. You can even set up customized voicemail to record messages while you’re away from base.

Skype 2 remains a slimmed down version of Skype that may have been replaced by Skype 5 but still somehow feels simpler and more straightforward than the latter.

Download Skype 2 2.8.0.866 in Softonic

- Automatically run at Mac startup stealthily - Monitor all user accounts with one click - Log typed keystrokes such as account names - Log chats from Skype/AIM/iChat/Adium/MSN - Record websites in Safari/Firefox/Chrome - Take periodical high-quality screenshots - Log typed Passwords (Professional only) - Log the IP address of monitored Macintosh - Send logs to Email/FTP at preset interval - Password protection for keylogger access - Customizable hot key for keylogger access

Parents: Watch your Kids Online Spouses: Catch a Cheating Spouse Employers: Monitor Employees on Macs

Download Amac Keylogger Standard 2.2 in Softonic

Boom is suitable for anyone that's had problems with low sound on applications such as Skype, iTunes and VLC media player.

Boom can also be used for boosting the volume on online music and video sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, - Netflix, Hulu and more. Boom works by adding a graphic equalizer to your Mac's sound system so that you tweak and boost it.

Boom has been continually improved and fixed since launch although some users may experience a popping or clicking sound when it's cranked up to full volume. However, this should have been ironed out in the latest version.

If you're Mac speakers aren't loud enough, Boom gives them the boost they need.

Download Boom for Mac 1.6 in Softonic

I've never been a particularly big fan of Yahoo! products and so I tested Yahoo! Messenger with more than a little trepidation.

Whenever a product is specifically designed for Windows users and is then finally rolled out for Mac, the results can be less then impressive - and so it seems with Yahoo! Messenger. First the good points. The interface is fine. There's nothing that makes it stand out from other Instant Messenger interfaces but it's clean and not cluttered with ads or banners. My main problem is that I have hardly any Yahoo! contacts but fortunately, this latest version finally adds support for MSN contacts.

To add an MSN contact, you have to CMD-click on the main interface and select 'Add new contact'. I thought this could have been made clearer and it only allows the adding of contacts one-by-one - not entire accounts, which is a real pain if you've got lots of contacts. You can also add LCS and Lotus Sametime contacts, although who on Earth uses those nowadays I have no idea.

Overall, using Yahoo! Messenger is a frustrating experience. For instance, I was pleased to read it apparently iSight support (unlike the basic version of MSN Messenger for Mac) but to my dismay, it simply doesn't work. There's also a possibility to phone people as with Skype by purchasing Phone Out credit but I really don't see the point of this unless the rates and plans are more competitive than Skype, which they're not.

Yahoo! Messenger will only really appeal to Yahoo! die-hards that have a Yahoo! account and haven't yet discovered the pleasures of Adium.

Download Yahoo! Messenger 3.0.2.235554 in Softonic

It can enable you to record sound from four applications or web pages at most, which really saves you much time. To adjust codec, bit rate, sample rate or channels when you record from applications to get your ideal audio effect.

Record sound, or music from Skype,iChat, QuickTime Player, RealPlayer, iTunes, VLC, Safari or DVD Player or audio devices (CD, Line-in, Mic, Stereo Mix and Mono Mix) on Mac.Edit Audio File: Trim off unwanted audio clip or abstrac

Download Boilsoft Audio Recorder 2.11 in Softonic

Onde Audio Recorder Record Audio From Any Program on Your Mac1 Capture audio from ANY application on your mac: Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Skype, iChat, iTunes, and many others.Grab audio clips from your favorite videos on sites such as YouTube and Vimeo.

Easily record digital phone calls from programs like Skype, iChat, FaceTime, and more.Use Onde Audio Recorder to record sound bites from your favorite movies with programs like DVD Player, VLC, QuickTime, and more.Use Onde Audio Recorder to Record External Audio Devices

This soft fit for everyone who like to listen audio book and record audio directly from Mic, CD player, line-in devices, web pages(Safari, Firefox, Chrome, YouTube, Facebook) or iChat, Skype. such like students, wokers, olders and so on.

Download Onde Audio Recorder for Mac 3.16.4 in Softonic

Soundflower emulates the interface of an audio device but allows any audio application to send and receive audio with no other support needed. It opens as one of two audio devices (2ch/16ch). For most people and needs, the 2-channel device is sufficient.

If you want an application to interact with another application via the soundcard, select Soundflower as the output device in the first application and Soundflower as the input device within the second application. If an application does not allow you to specify audio devices, you can make Soundflower the default input or output device inside the Sound panel in the System Preferences, or with the Audio MIDI Setup utility application which is the only slightly tricky part.

You may hear interference at first when you setup an audio channel and if so, the developers recommend increasing the buffer size of both applications (set within each application). Note that if more than one application is sending its output to the same channel, the audio will be mixed.

The practical usages of Soundflower include conducting interviews with both voices. So instead of recording an interview with Skype and only hearing one voice, Soundflower allows you to record both voices for a more professional production. Alternatively, it's useful for routing audio from applications such as iTunes and Spotify to other applications and devices.

Note that this download is for OS X 10.5.8+. You can also download the OS X 10.4 compatible version (Version 1.4.3)..

Soundflower is a remarkably effective and free audio routing solution..

Download Soundflower 1.6.2.1 in Softonic

Vpn One Click is the best User friendly program that use an internface intuitive and easy to use. just one simple click and you can connect to any vpn do you want! Vpn One Click is the only one VPN for Mac of the world to be present on the MAC App Store. This makes Vpn One CLick a 100% reliable program, trusted also by Apple!

This program is designed for those that care about their privacy and want to remain anonymous on internet! This program is also essential for those who live abroad or travel a lot because it allows you to Watch your National TV from everywhere!

Download Vpn One Click 1.2 in Softonic

Ever wanted to record a song from the internet but just didn't have the right tool? Audio Hijack Pro can do that for you. Even better it can record literally any sound from any application or piece of hardware connected to your Mac.

Every piece of audio you grab is saved in the recording bin list. You'll find that Audio Hijack Pro has a quick record function and also lists preset recordings for specific applications like Safari, Skype, iTunes or iChat. It's very easy to add new ones and this really automates the recording process.

You can schedule automatic recording at precise days and hours of the week for each application. Audio Hijack Pro also lets you enter metadata, although it all has to be done manually (I didn't see an import feature), which is a little tedious.

There really is a wide selection of effects to choose from, 60 in all, and you can add more. I did find the process of inserting effects a little confusing, and you really need to connect them correctly to get what you are looking for.

Audio Hijack Pro comes with some preset formats to save your audio. You can create your own but I found Audio Hijack does not let you save them for future use.

Overall though, Audio Hijack Pro lets you record and enhance sounds from any application really quickly.

Download Audio Hijack Pro 2.10.3 in Softonic

Download BeerAlchemy 1.8.22 in Softonic

VpnTraffic creates a virtual private network (VPN) between your laptop and VPN servers.No need to enter server names, All you have to do to set it up is to enter the user name and password. Just open the application and select a server location to connect to. It's that easy.Unlimited switches between VPN server locations (35+ Countries VPN servers). Unblock all websites and applications. Including Skype, Facebook, Twitter.

Beside the great advantages Internet has and the great amount of opportunities it creates one must remember that Internet is also a dangerous environment. VPN service is a common used method to stay away from the online dangers.

Download VpnTraffic VPN client for Mac V1.0 in Softonic

Growl Fork runs works in OS X 10.7 Lion, but adds nothing that isn't in the premium version of Growl! Growl Fork is compatible with most major programs such as Skype, Spotify and iTunes and opens a small dialog window in the top right of your screen when there's a new notification.

There are quite a few customization options and you have a large amount of control over how you want Growl Fork to look such as the size, position and duration of notifications. The developer site is however very limited in terms of support but informs users of the latest updates to Growl Fork which are frequent.

If you've switched to OS X 10.7 Lion and don't want to upgrade to the paid version of Growl, Growl Fork is a very solid replacement.

Download Growl Fork 1.2.2f1 in Softonic

Now that Messenger 8.0 supports video and audio webchats, not many users will see the need to use version 7.

However, if neither of these are particularly important to you then version 7 might still be useful to you. Of course, whichever version you choose, you still have to sign in using your Hotmail or Windows Live account. Once installed, the first thing you'll see is that Microsoft Messenger 7 offers a slightly updated interface to version 6.

Messenger 7 offers Bonjour support, so you can detect and connect with users on the same local network as you. Features like sending files, displaying a picture or emoticons are unchanged. You can change your display name and add a personal message just by clicking on them.

One new feature is that you can give nicknames to your friends. Just click on their display name and start typing. We also liked the search feature, which is really handy to quickly find a contact or email address.

It's obvious that this upgrade is aimed at corporate users as they get the most significant updates though. The highly touted audio and video feature, with which you can have video conferences with your contacts, is only available to them.

The same goes with detailed presence information, as you'll need a version of Office Communications Server 2007 to use it.

Corporate users will love the new features in Messenger for Mac 7, like Bonjour Support, detailed presence information and especially audio and video. General users will find barely anything different from version 6 and should download Microsoft Messenger 8.0.

Download Messenger for Mac 7.0.3 in Softonic

USB WebCam Driver works with most major webcam manufacturers. This trial version however is limited to 30 minutes at a time which means you have to unplug and reconnect your camera to keep using it. Please note that unless you have a FireWire or Philips camera, your serial number is tied to the computer you register on, and you'll need that to register the driver if you intend to keep it.

Installing the Driver

You don't have to have your camera connected when you install USB WebCam Driver but you may need to identify the type of camera you have before the driver will recognize it. Just change the name that appears in the QuickTime Video Settings dialog.

The developers encourage users to test the driver thoroughly before purchasing it, including with supported applications such as Skype, Facetime etc.

If you're suffering from webcam driver problems on your Mac, USB WebCam Driver may be your solution.

Download USB WebCam Driver 1.1 in Softonic

Pandora is one of the best online music services you'll come across and, thanks to PandoraJam, you'll be able to enjoy it straight from your desktop. The application is fitted with a nice interface which displays a list of your stations, the basic playback buttons and a handy search bar. You can set the autoscrobble feature to submit your songs to Last.fm and use Growl to get popup updates on new songs in your list. PandoraJam will show status updates in Skype, Adium and iChat but not other IM clients.

PandoraJam is much more than a simple desktop application for Mac though. The program adds wireless streaming to Airport Express, which although unstable every now and then, should work well if you have a good wireless connection. You'll also be able to record songs playing in PandoraJam to play them in your iPod or iTunes. Unfortunately, since Pandora.com is now only available to the UK and US, lots of users will shy away from it and turn to Last.fm, which also provides a good desktop playback client.

PandoraJam is a desktop application for the online music service Pandora, with nice advanced features.

Download PandoraJam 1.7 in Softonic

If you're not impressed with Adium and you don't like chat clients such as Skype or MSN Messenger then you should take a look at Colloquy.

Colloquy is an advanced IRC, SILC & ICB client which aims to combine the best of all these messenger clients in what is a very elegant and refined interface. It supports everything you'd expect a decent client to do including AppleScript, file transfers, emoticons although unfortunately, it doesn't support either audio or video chats.

Probably the best part of the client is that fact that it can be upgraded with lots of cool plugins. These include such things as Transbot which translates to and from any language supported by Google's translation engine and Grab URL takes a URL in a chat room and attempts to replace its text with the page's title.

In all Colloquy is very interested and elegant chat client that would score much higher if it supported audio and video but as it is, it's a great chat only client.

Download Colloquy 2.3 4129 in Softonic