It distinguishes itself by being free, without skimping on options. In fact, iSpy is hugely flexible, and all but the most demanding users will find that it offers enough to happily meet their needs. The interface is a little strange (the top half looks great, but the bottom is old-fashioned), and the program takes up a huge amount of RAM. But these problems aside, it's a really impressive piece of software.

iSpy can be configured to work with various input sources, whether a conventional webcam, IP cam, capture card, desktop camera or microphone, all with a view to monitoring your home and making sure everything is well. Setting up a camera for iSpy is easy - in all probability, it will automatically detect your device, but if it doesn't, there's a handy wizard to help you along the way.

The iSpy interface is completely configurable, but the default layout gives you a main feed on the top, the movement captures beneath, and quick options to the side. It's also accessible from the taskbar, and remotely, provided you have an active iSpy subscription.

Although iSpy is ready to go from the moment you install it, it's really worth taking a look at the configuration options and settings. Although extensive, they're not complicated, and will really help you get the most from a very flexible app. Just bear in mind that for a lot of the program's features, you will need a paid account - primarily secured remote access, SMS, MMS, email alerts and mobile device access.

On the iSpy web site, there's a huge list of possible uses, and it certainly gives you food for thought. The program's options certainly back this up, as it's flexible enough to cater for all eventualities. The only problem we can see, in fact, is the resource-intensive usage.

When we tested iSpy, it seemed clear that only those using pretty powerful machines would be able to run it at the same time as other applications. Of course, as iSpy is mainly used for remote monitoring, that may not be a problem for all users, but it's worth bearing in mind.

iSpy is a very promising piece of surveillance software - but you'll need a subscription and a powerful PC to get the most from it.

Download iSpy 5.0.9 in Softonic

NextGen Media Player remains one of video players that is light on system resources and handles DVDs as well as most video formats flawlessly. The app supports the majority of media formats, including AAF, 3GP, 3GP2, 3GPP, H261, H263, H263I, H264, MOV, VOB, GIF, ASF, AVCHD, AVI, CAM, DAT, DSH, FLV, M1V, MKV, M2V, FLA, FLR, SOL, M4V, MATROSKA, WRAP, MNG, MPG, QUICKTIME, MPEG, MPEG-4, MP4, MP4V, MXF, ROQ, NSV, OGG, RM, SVI, SMI, SWF, WMV.

All in all, thanks to its extensive support for media files, playlists and multiple customization's, NextGen Media Player can easily become the player of choice for many users.

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- support of various types of video devices, like Webcams, IP-Cams, network cameras, capture cards, YouTube videos, video files, DVDs, streams, etc. - support of various transfer protocol types and codecs - integrated (motion) detector with several detection modes, like image comparison, face detection, miscellaneous types - integrated scheduler for unlimited video tasks - various different executable functions at detection and by scheduler - integrated multiple Email- and FTP-clients and a Web-Server - standard functionality like picture capturing, video recording, video previewing, etc. - various image filters like black&white, gray scale, brightness ... - permanent video recording in preselected video file sizes for 24/7

The special features of CamDVR are the permanent video recording and the pre-recorded videos. With the permanent recording feature the software records 24/7 all the activities going on and makes a surveillance system complete.

It's for professional and private usage, for business owners and private person who want to run a professional digital video recording and surveillance software.

Download CamDVR 1.1.1.0 in Softonic

With the permanent recording functionality you can record videos in all sizes and length. Record from all your cameras nonstop around the clock. Adjust the video filesize so that the video contains always the last 24 hours, last 8 hours, last 3 days, etc.. If the selected videofilesize is reached the video is overwritten from the beginning. Thereby the video contains always the last minutes, hours, days from the current time backward.

CamPermanent is an extremely powerful video monitoring solution that supports regular webcams, IP cameras (netcams) and all other video capturing devices supported by Windows.

Business owners and private persons who want to use a video surveillance solution.

Download CamPermanent 3.8 in Softonic

Camfrog Video Chat sounds innocent enough and generally it is, although its a bit disconcerting when it asks you for your marital status as mandatory during registration! The Camfrog Video Chat interface is similar to that of an IM client with contacts listed down the right hand and a messaging box along the bottom. When you log in, you're asked whether you want to join the main Camfrog Video Chat room or a specific room such as Latino, LearnEnglish, Single and a special room for those using sign language.

When you log into a Camfrog forum room, the rules are made clear - "No disturbing the room with repeated text or spamming" and "No nudity or asking others to get nude", for example. The main Camfrog Video Chat room is chaos though. Because there are several people all communicating at once, all you see is a flurry of random messages between users. Click on a contact, and you can usually see their webcam (unless they are categorized as a "lurker" which means their webcam is paused for a while).

You can also hear Camfrog Video Chat conversations intermittently like you're tuning in and out of a radio. In general, the whole thing is quite confusing. It would be fine to have a one-on-one chat on Camfrog Video Chat but interacting with several different users at once is like trying to catch rain water. If nothing else, it's amusing just looking at people on their webcams who look equally confused as they stare at the Camfrog Video Chat messages scrolling past and scratch their heads. You also get the sense of a voyeur at times. It's quite odd to accidentally tune into a conversation between a guy who's explaining to his girlfriend that she and Camfrog Video Chat are the best things that ever happened to him!

The Camfrog Video Chat video and sound quality are pretty good and it's amazing how many people are online. It's much nicer to meet people "face-to-face" in this way rather than just chatting to them anonymously. It would be nicer to expand the size of the video but this is only available in the pro version. The same goes for seeing multiple videos at once. The overall Camfrog Video Chat interface looks a bit retro however - like MSN Messenger a few years ago - and feels a little bit cheap.

There are plenty of people online and Camfrog Video Chat has a lot of potential as a group collaboration tool. If you just want to meet friends though, you shouldn't have any problems if you persevere.

Download Camfrog Video Chat 6.5.269 in Softonic

MyFFVideoconverter supports batch video conversions, features a watermark function, and gives you full control over compression/encoder rates, resolution and frame rates. MyFFVideoConverter supports everything from HD to high compression for smaller files making it a powerful all-round multipurpose tool for video editing and conversion.

Download MyFFVideoconverter 1.0.11 in Softonic

CamLAN - Is the ultimate software solution for viewing all of your video devices from all PCs in your network. It supports webcams, netcams (IP-cams) and all video devices which are working with an up to date driver for Windows. It includes a Network Server Client functionality to send the video from all cameras from one server PC to all connected client PCs and vice versa and it includes a Webserver for direct access of all camera videos via simple HTTP request!

CamLAN is for user who want to view all their video devices within their network on each PC.

Download CamLAN 3.7 in Softonic

Overview

Opera 12 keeps the general design and functionality of the highly-praised Opera 11, but adds convenient improved features like themes, web cam access and hardware acceleration. As for the the interface, Opera 12 features a slightly cleaner GUI with a focus on webpages instead of buttons and menus. Overall, Opera 12 isn't a huge change compared to the last version, but it has been improved with some nice new features.

Innovations and speed

The big innovation in the last version of Opera was extensions and while the choice of browser enhancements is still fairly limited, when you install or uninstall add-ons, you don't have to restart your browser. They are also sandboxed, so if one crashes, your browser won't. Opera 12 runs just as quickly as Google Chrome (the developer claims it's even faster) and the rendering engine has been tweaked slightly to offer an even faster browsing experience.

Visual Tabs and Tab Stacking is useful if you often have too many open, and there are now visual mouse gestures. These are well implemented, and accessed by holding the right mouse button which brings up a translucent guide to mouse gestures. This is a great introduction for people who've never used gestures, and hopefully allows for greater use in the future.

There's still an integrated mail client, which continues Opera's move towards doing everything you need in one application. The newest features or improvements of note are themes and web cam access. The most notable improvement has been to Speed Dial which instead of simply giving easy access to your favorite sites, now allows you to embed your Speed Dial with dynamic information - in other words, web apps within Opera. Meanwhile Password Syncing allows you to sync passwords across machines and devices - just sign-up for an account and Opera does the rest. There have also been some HTML5 improvements for developers such as Session History, Navigation and the W3C File API.

Conclusions

Opera 12 is a definite improvement on Opera 11 although the changes aren't revolutionary. However, if you're looking for a new browser, this is probably the most innovative currently on the market and is well worth installing.

Download Opera 12.15 in Softonic

In the unregistered version of FRAPS you can take 30 seconds of video, with a FRAPS watermark, and take screenshots in BMP format. In the full version there is no video watermark, and screenshots also come in JPG, PNG, and TGA format.

To use FRAPS, simply start the app before your game, and when the game starts, you will se a frame rate counter in the corner of the screen, great for benchmarking. Taking screenshots and video is hotkey activated. You can choose to take screenshots one at a time, or repeatedly with a given time gap.

For video, you can record with sound, and even with a microphone, so you can create your own walk throughs easily. Video production has the disadvantage of size - 3 minutes of video will be around 3GB, meaning you need a further application to change the format. However, FRAPS is very lightweight and shouldn't effect gameplay quality much.

As an all-in-one benchmarking, screenshot and video tool, FRAPS is hard to beat. It is lightweight and easy to use, with enough options to keep most users happy.

Download FRAPS 3.5.99 in Softonic

Multiplayer lets the game down

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is not a subtle game. The story is silly, but takes you through lush jungles, to Sarajevo and mountains in Tibet. Some segments see you working with a Spotter, or supporting another team. In these parts you are guided through where to look and who to kill. How hard this is depends on the setting. Medium difficulty gives you a red dot that helps you allow for distance and wind when shooting, but this is removed on Hard.

The multiplayer portion is small. It sets two teams up sniping against each other. This makes game pretty quiet, as searching for other snipers is a slow, painstaking process. There really needed to be more creative game modes to make multiplayer worthwhile in Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2.

Playability

The controls are well handled. You can hold your breath, which momentarily slows time, allowing you to take a more accurate shot, and in general it plays like a standard first person shooter. The night and infrared vision modes are well done, but you rarely need to use them creatively.

While it never reaches Dishonored or Hitman levels, there is a puzzle element to watching and learning soldiers' movements, and it's fun to get through a level undetected. The good looking environments don't allow for much exploration, and there isn't the same level of fascinating detail like there was in Dishonored.

Quality

Enemy AI can be a little hard to predict. When you're sniping from a great distance, and being guided by your team, this isn't a problem. When you're fighting on your own, deciding which enemies to take down first doesn't always give you predictable results. If you are detected and rushed by a few soldiers, you will find the pistol woefully underpowered to protect yourself! You can take out an enemy very close to another without problem sometimes, but if you miss, generally you'll alert everyone to your position. But not always...

Conclusion

Apart from the dodgy AI, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is an enjoyable, if short, sniping adventure. It doesn't have the gory bullet cam of Sniper Elite:V2, but it's still a solid sniper game.

Download Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 in Softonic

So, if you fancy turning yourself into an alien or a talking dog, CyberLink YouCam is probably for you. The application works with most major messaging clients, including Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.

All the effects included in CyberLink YouCam are organized in different tabs, and their results can be applied in real time. They include original backgrounds, all sorts of clipart and comic-like effects, hats and fake beards for yourself and even a free-hand drawing tool. Besides the fun part, CyberLink YouCam also includes a video surveillance utility that can help you keep control of your property without spending a fortune in a surveillance system.

The most recent release of CyberLink YouCam features the amazing augmented reality technology, thanks to which you can interact with 3D virtual objects in the video preview window. Thanks to the support for HD video and TrueTheater, the effects in CyberLink YouCam are more realistic than ever.

CyberLink YouCam is a fun tool that will spice up any web chat, although some of the effects are more realistic than others.

Download CyberLink YouCam 5.0.2219 in Softonic

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is video capture software that will allow you to record your computer’s screen or audio. With only a few simple tools you can decide which parts of your computer are captured and converted. Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is a great piece of software for screencasts, screenshots, and audio.

Features

With Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder you can record your desktop, take screenshots, or record audio. With the screen record option you can select from recording the entire screen, specific regions, focus around the mouse, or take web cam input. For audio you can pick to record desktop sounds, speak through your microphone, or combine both. Default formats for video is WMV, and for audio MP3, OGG, WMA, or WAV can be selected.

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder can also set up tasks that automatically record for you. You may schedule a certain time of day, the duration of your recording or specific stop date, and if you are capturing video (including regions) or audio. You can also set if your computer shutdowns automatically after Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder finishes.

Usability

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder has a very basic yet intuitive design. When the app is first opened and no files are in the output folder the file window will be hidden. After your first recording this window will expand, causing Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder to become larger in size. Each button has a simple drop down menu to adjust settings. There are rarely any detailed settings windows, except when scheduling tasks. One annoying aspect of Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder's UI are false buttons that you might expect to open new options and menus. Instead these are just fancy links to Apowersoft’s website placed in deceptive locations.

If you select region recording, an overlay will cover the screen, allowing you drag a desired rectangle sized space. If you’re unhappy with the rectangle size you can move it around, adjust pixel width and height, or select a preset from a drop down menu. Before recordings you can set up a countdown to prepare your screen, as well as audio beeps when a recording starts and stops.

Quality

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder has a very minimal appearance, often times you may forget it is even open. When not recording it simply looks like a black and off-white bar. The miniature design works well as you rarely want a large abrasive UI while recording. You can also choose to hide most all of Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder’s toolbars to further increase its stealth.

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder doesn’t cause any obvious slow down while it records, allowing you a smooth capture session as you open other programs and web pages. Quality of finished recordings is generally high and files are compressed to low sizes. There can be visual problems when using the area around mouse option, but only if you select a resolution under 640x480.

Conclusion

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is a great way to capture your screen for screencasts and audio. It only supports WMVs, but the quality of recordings is good with compact file sizes. Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder can set up captures at specific dates and automate shut downs, making handy for daily recording. Just remember that several buttons are links and not options.

Download Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder 1.1.3 in Softonic

Feature list: 1.Split and add effects to physical webcam directly with no virtual webcam needed; 2.Add virtual webcam automatically for users have no webcam device. 3.Compatible with ManyCam,youCam, WebcamMax,Skype, MSN, Camfrog,ICQ,AIM,Movie Maker. 4.Use a image file or video file as webcam stream source 5.Easy capture and record webcam [www.GorMedia.com]

Split physical webcam directly with no fake webcam needed, it will not add a fake webcam to user's machine, users needn't to select a virtual webcam while they using the webcam; Add effects to friends while video chatting with Skype.

The only webcam software all world which can split and add effects to physical webcam directly with no virtual webcam needed;

Download GorMedia Morecam 3.27 in Softonic

You don’t need to do hassle work such as setting router, setting NAT and DDNS. All you need to do is the installation of program and application. High quality but low bandwidth - Saving file size : 100MByte per 1 hour

pet monitor, simple surveillance program, simple webcam program, recording webcam program support remote control with android, ios

Download JenausCam 1.0.7.1 in Softonic

Some screen capture packages take a simple "point and shoot" approach to taking screenshots while others turn it into a virtual art form.

Camstudio falls into this latter category. If Stephen Spielberg were to take screenshots instead of make films then he'd probably use something along the lines of this app. Camstudio is an excellent and fully comprehensive screenshot solution for anyone that needs to go beyond simple illustration and really needs to show the end user exactly how to use an application on program.

It's an excellent choice for those that have to provide technical support or developer who have to design tutorials to explain how to use their programs. The range of output files is admittedly limited - CamStudio will only output in AVI format but you can also convert movies to Flash (SWF). You can also choose the codecs used to encode your screen capture shots and set the frame rate you need to capture at.

Ordinary screen captures are performed in much the same way as in most screen capture applications. Simply drag the mouse over the area you want to capture or tap in the coordinates. You can of course add text and for more complicated motion captures, a useful auto-tracking feature follows the movement of the mouse without you having to do a thing.

CamStudio is an excellent free screen capture tool merging the best of screen capturing apps with video editing packages into one very impressive program.

Download CamStudio 2.7.316 in Softonic

No matter which webcam brand you use, MyCam will work with it right away. The program doesn’t need any special configuration – in fact, it doesn’t even need installation – and is really easy to use. Simply run the EXE file, let it connect with the camera and you’re ready to go.

The downside to being that simple is that MyCam hardly features any configuration settings. All you can do is choose between JPG or BMP for camera snapshots, and MPEG or AVI for videos, besides setting video quality and framerate.

Then again, if all you want to do is capture simple webcam videos and snapshots without all the rings and bells of other applications, MyCam is what you’re looking for.

MyCam is a very simple, easy-to-use tool that lets you record video and take snapshots with your webcam.

Download MyCam 1.1.0.1 in Softonic

Download Logitech HD Webcam Software 2.5.1 in Softonic

OlympicLog can spot / log any video material and is also the only one to be able to create reports in many different formats. Such as a Word or PDF report, but also an import format for AVID or Final Cut Pro or Premiere

Post production people who want to have a searchable database of their movie material.

Download OlympicLog 2.9.2012 in Softonic