Virtual Dimension is a unique application because it offers a different way of desktop virtualization. This free, open source application allows users create unlimited virtual desktops in their application. Each desktop will have unique environment since you can customize each desktop with different a wallpaper, icons, running applications and shortcuts for applications. All of these advantages could be experienced even though the application is less than 500kb in size.

Transferring from one desktop to another is very easy. Shortcuts to virtual desktops are provided in the system tray or a shortcut could be added on the desktop. Each shortcut could be always on top so that users will not have click on the system tray. Previews on other desktops is also added which means you do not have to transfer from one desktop to another just to know the running applications. Hotkeys can even be assigned per desktop for easier access. A single key could even become a shortcut to another desktop.

An impressive feature of Virtual Dimension is its ability to place icons on each window shortcut. The icons signify the number of applications currently running in various desktops. Each virtual desktop will also be saved and could be retrieved when the desktop restarts.

While the number of virtual desktop is unlimited, it will still depend on the capability of the local gadget. If you’re computer is relatively weak, then the number of virtual desktops it can hold without slowing down is also smaller. But for a powerful desktop computer, the possibilities are almost endless.

Check it out virt-dimension.sourceforge.net

Free the resources in your computer or laptop with this small, mobile but highly important application. LiberKey is an application launcher for other lightweight and equally useful application. Users can customize the application they needed and pack them in LiberKey for easier access.

The interface used in LiberKey emulates the startup menu. The application will automatically display the applications pre-installed and ready to be used. Because LiberKey is lightweight, launching the application will not require a lot of resources. Users can even uninstall some of their applications to have a lighter but equally efficient application offered by LiberKey.

Users have three options on configuration of LiberKey. The Ultimate version contains more than 200 applications, the Standard has 106 applications and Basic contains 28 applications. The applications added in these versions are all essential applications that will allow you to be very productive and entertained.

The Ultimate version could still be expanded. The applications offered by LiberKey are not the only applications that could be added in the launcher. Other applications can also be added in LiberKey with little to no problem as long as they can be launched in portable devices. Because of this feature, there could be hundreds more of small applications that could be launched in LiberKey. Customization is practically endless.

There are two versions of LiberKey: the installed version and the portable version. The installed version requires a single installation that will allow access to various applications. LiberKey also has a portable version which means your portable hard drive or memory storage device could transform any computer or laptop to your preferred configuration of applications.

Check it out http://www.liberkey.com/en/

Most media players take time before they are completely launched in computers. Since the application needs to interact with other applications in the computer, it will require time before it is completely usable. The resources required for these applications are also high which could slow down other applications especially on low powered gadgets.

Evil Player tries to be different from the crowd. One of the lightest media player applications today, Evil Player is less than 1mb which means the application could run in your system in less than a minute. Because it’s very light, the footprint or the required resources to run the application at an optimal level is very small.

But even though the application is lightweight, the features are never lacking. Its audio support is very impressive as it can play most popular audio formats such as OGG, WAV and MP3. Visualization and playlists could also be implemented which gives additional experience of the audio being played.

Aside from being an audio player, the application is also an efficient radio streaming tool. Shoutcast and Last.fm could be easily streamed through this simple application. The application also has a recorder function in case you want to record the audio coming out from Last.fm and Shoutcast.

The only downside of Evil Player is the lack of video support. While additional plug-ins are available, they are only for audio enhancement. On the other hand, this is a highly recommended application if you are looking for a simple but very efficient audio player.

Check it out at http://www.hakeem.gigahost.dk/download.php

Simplify your CD and DVD burning process with Infrarecorder. This easy to use application offers a straight forward process on burning data and applications on CD or DVD. It’s also highly configurable which means advanced features in the application are also available for users who needs more than just the simple burning process in their application.

The application can burn files as data, create audio CDs or even combine these types of files depending on the preferences of the user. ISO images as well as BIN and CUE installation file formats can also be burned in the CD or DVD as installers with the help of the application. The application also has the ability to delete or rewrite files in rewritable CDs with up to 4 erasure options.

The impressive feature of the application is on its ability to optimize the application based on the local hardware. The application has the ability to monitor the type of hardware used to burn the CDs and DVDs. Because of this feature, users will be able to access information about their CD burning hardware anytime.

The application also prevents from other data to be burned by fixating the disc which greatly complements the auto-eject function right after the burning process.

The only limitation of the application is that it doesn’t seem to have controls for videos. While it can add video files on CDs and DVDs, the application does not offer autorun for videos. But even with this limitation, it’s still a highly recommended application because of its efficient burning process of files, audio and ISOs.

Check it out at http://infrarecorder.org/

There are many Twitter clients that are free for download and most of them are highly efficient in this specific function. However, a few of this type of application could match the capability of Spaz – a very simple Twitter client with very impressive functions.

Spaz is multi-platform client. That means the application has versions for desktop as well as mobile gadgets. The application can also work in any form of operating system including various versions of Linux. The only requirement is Adobe-AIR in order for real time streaming of information in the client. Even though AIR is proprietary, the source code for the client is open source which means variations could be created for personal or business use without any licensing required from the original developers of Spaz.

Popular tools associated with Twitter are also available in Spaz. Real-time search for previous posts is available. Users can also connect their short URL creation account in Spaz to automate the process. Almost every Short URL tools are applicable in Spaz. While users can shorten the URL, Spaz can also decrypt the shortened URL for better understanding of the post. Spaz also offers various themes and as an open source application, users can also create their themes for more personalization.

The downside of Spaz is the same with other Twitter clients. Because the application uses Adobe AIR, the application will require a relatively powerful gadget. Make sure that your computer can handle AIR or else the Twitter client may work but with the cost of slowing down everything else.

Check it out at http://funkatron.com/spaz/

Everything may seem like an odd name for an application but that’s exactly the name for a very small (less than 1mb) application used to search for files in your computer. This application is fast, efficient and will not use up the resources of the local gadget. The default search tool in Windows-OS will usually use up a lot of resources which means other applications will slowly slow down while search is active. Everything, on the other hand, will search your computer while allowing other applications to normally operate.

For the application to speed up the search process, the application indexes your gadget before allowing you to search for files. The indexing process may take up a minute or two depending on the number of files in your computer. After this process, the user could search by filename and the application will display the matching files in real time. Although the application is limited to filename only, it speeds up the process of file search without requiring resources from your gadget.

Everything indexes the files and folders and keeps them for future references. That means you do not need to wait for the application to restart for a very long time. The application will merely get updates on the latest file changes as well as the new files and folders added in the system.

Everything is highly recommended application for new computers with Windows OS. This is a great tool that automates file changes so that it will ease search for specific files in the future.

Check it out at http://www.voidtools.com/

Monitor and control your finances with JaHoCa. This Java-based application provides highly interactive interface as users can enter various financial transactions during the day and compare them to their monthly earnings. Detailed information for every transaction is also allowed which means your financial transactions will have more than just simple spending data. As a Java-based application, users can see in real time how their funds are spent. Multiple-users are allowed in the application so everyone can actively monitor their spending in one computer.

JaHoCa is basically a “learning” application. After weeks and months of using the application, users will be able to extract data from JaHoca about their past expenses as well as the time period on how the funds were spent. Users can use filtering so that the right data could be extracted in no time.

Summarization in JaHoCa could come in either purely text format or through a diagram. Users can easily create a diagram for their expenses so that they will have a visual representation on how much they have spent on certain products and services. Grouping the expenses is also possible such as utilities, groceries, entertainment and other expenses that should be grouped together. This makes it easier for the diagram to implement which eases user understanding. The data from the application can also be exported as PDF which eases printing and prevents it from being edited.

Although the application requires JRE (Java Runtime Environment) before it could be launched, downloading JRE is worth it with this simple but very useful application.

Check it out at http://www.arcanea.net/

There are many free notepad applications that you can download online. Most of them offer more than simple editing tools offered by the native notepad application. TED Notepad is one of those applications but this particular application extends some of the simple functions on most notepads which makes it one of the must download notepad application.

The first thing you’ll notice about the application is its size. TED Notepad is less than 200kb which means you can download and use the application in less than a minute. But even with the size of the application, TED Notepad comes with very powerful features. Among them is the ability to swap through different files fast although the application will continuously ask you to save the file before transferring to new window. Undo and redo features are almost unlimited unlike the basic notepad which only allow you one undo and redo.

Text editing is also very efficient in the application. You can create up to 9 clips and paste them immediately with predefined shortcuts. Auto-completion of long words in the file is also enabled so you can encode faster. Hot keys that are also customizable to initiate special functions are also possible in the application. The application could even number the lines so that users can easily swap certain text to various destinations within the file.

All of these features could be enjoyed once the application is installed. But aside from full installation option, users can also download the portable version and launch them from portable storage devices.

Check it out at http://jsimlo.sk/notepad/

ZScreen is a screen a capture tool that provides complete control to the user on how screenshots are done on their local gadget. It’s a very lightweight application (less than 1mb) which means download and installation is a breeze. The application may only offer a single function but it is very efficient in what it does that it has become a must download for many user.

The application is installed in the system tray wherein an icon is displayed to signify the ZScreen is active. Users do not need to open the application from the system tray to use the screen capture tool. Hot keys are provided so that users would only use a keystroke for screen capture. Before the screen capture, users can define the region where the application should be used. The full screen can also be captured or only the window depending on user’s preferences.

Aside from configuration of the size and area to be captured, users can also define the location of the saved file. Users can immediately save the file to their hard drive, copy the screen to be loaded in your favorite image editing tool or they can upload the image captured on the screen on ImageShack – a popular file hosting website.

While the application is lightweight, it’s only downside is its additional requirement. Before the application could work in the system tray, it will need the latest .Net framework installed. If you don’t have the latest framework yet, it will take sometime before you can use ZScreen because of the size of the framework. But after the .Net framework is already installed, the application can launch without any problem.

Check it out at http://brandonz.net/projects/zscreen/index.html

Have you ever had one of those days when you know you were really busy all day, but you can’t exactly recall what it was you spent your day doing?

Certainly, if you spend your time just doing one or two things in particular, it might be simple to recall how you passed your time , but if you spend your time doing this and that and a bit of the other, it could be easy to let all your time disappear from underneath you. You know when someone asks you what did you do today and you think to yourself  “ummm… good question!” TimeSnapper could be what you’ve been searching for!

This program will automatically make screenshots of your computer on a schedule you choose. What could be a greater way to know what you’ve been doing with all those hours than to look at your computer’s screen in a time lapse kind of way? It’s clever enough to understand when your computer is idle, so you’re not going to acquire a bundle of screenshots over night when nothing at all is going on. You’ll be able to specify how long you prefer to retain your images , or specify a limitation on how much drive space your screenshots use, so your hard drive won’t be full with images of your desktop!

A useful idea for those of us who want to get a hold of better time management!

Check out the homepage here