Most people don’t have thousands of dollars to buy programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop or Maya. Fortunately, there programs out there that are absolutely free. Also, most of them are surprisingly similar or even better to their costly alternatives.

Here is a list of Freeware software which can save people from spending thousands of dollars and which can be useful to anyone. The list is sorted categorically.

3D Modeling:

Blender

Ever wanted to make animated CGI movies like “The Incredibles” or “Ratatouille”? Blender is a Maya/3d Studio Max replacement. Check out what it can do and make the animation you always dreamed of creating. Be sure to check the tutorial section for guidance. Photo by Caronte

Google SketchUp

Google SketchUp is a powerful yet easy-to-learn 3D software tool that combines a simple, yet robust tool-set with an intelligent drawing system that streamlines and simplifies 3D design. Google SketchUp enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily.

Audio/Video Players:

VLC Media Player

VLC media player is a highly portable Media 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.

The greatest feature of this player is that you don’t need ANY codecs for it to work. So no need to search around the net for the best codec pack anymore.

Media Player Classic

Like VLC Media Player, Media Player Classic is a powerful media player which can play anything thrown at it. Couple this with ffdshow and you’ve got yourself a monster of a program.

foobar2000

Foobar2000 is an advanced audio player which is a personal favorite for many audiophiles. It is highly customizable. Although the process of customization is grueling, once you finish, you have everything you ever wanted from a audio player.

Winamp

Winamp is the most used audio (and recently video) player out there. If you are not into customization too much, skip Foobar and get Winamp instead. It’s perfect right out of the box, although a simply skin change won’t hurt.

Office Programs/Text Editors

AbiWord

AbiWord is the equivalent to Microsoft Word. If all you need is a Word Processor without the wordsheet or powerpoint programs, this is the program for you.

OpenOffice

If any program out there is to be called ‘Microsoft Office Killer,’ this is it. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on MS Office, give this a try. It is capable of reading and saving MS Office extensions, which is a crucial feature. Furthermore, it is an Office Suite, which means that it has an excel and powerpoint equivalents, among other things, called ‘Calc’ and ‘Draw,’ respectively.

Notepad++

Notepad++ is a free source code editor (and Notepad replacement), which supports several programming languages, running under the MS Windows environment. Forget about the notepad that comes packed with Windows XP/Vista. Get this to replace it.

Video/Audio Editors

Audacity

Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:

• Record live audio.
• Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.

• Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files.
• Cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together.
• Change the speed or pitch of a recording.

VirtualDub

VirtualDub is a video capture/processing utility. Check out the features.

AviDemux

Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities.

DVDStyler

DVDStyler is a cross-platform DVD authoring application that makes possible for video enthusiasts to create professional-looking DVDs. Make DVD menu’s in no time.

Mixxx

Mixxx allows DJs to mix music live with a clean, simple interface. Futhermore, Mixxx has a number of key features to help DJs in the mix: Beat estimation, parallel visual displays, and support for various DJ hardware controllers.

Some descriptions have been taken from the official website of the software. Check it out for more info.

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The recent not so recent anymore news about Aquafina’s water source being tap water is disturbing. PepsiCo has been selling water which they acquired for less the a penny, and sold it for a dollar or more. This is the same water which anyone can get by turning on their faucet.

An interesting video to watch about bottled water is from Penn and Teller: BS. They show how many companies sell bottled water from local sources but cover it up with fancy names like “Everest” and “Yosemite Water,” among other interesting things.

Note: Some coarse language used in the video.

Instead of buying bottled water from companies that may or may not use tap water, here are some tips you can use to drink fresh water - and even save money doing it.

• Get a water filter:
  There are many water filters out there. Some can be mounted on the faucet for easy access. Others are filtered into a pitcher. Some even come built into a fridge. Most importantly, they will save you money in the long run. Simply fill a pitcher with fresh water at night, stick it in the fridge, and you have fresh water for the next day.
• Simply drink tap water:
  
  • Bottled water generally is no cleaner or safer or healthier than tap water,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. “Rather than buying into this myth of purity in a bottle, consumers should drink from a tap.” (Washington Post)
  • If you fear pathogens, you can always boil the water before drinking it.
• If you have to have bottled water, check the label of the water bottle before you buy it. Most companies include the source of the water. If it says ‘municipal,’ it uses the cities water source.