NASA World Wind is packed with a lot of features starting with Blue Marble, a stunning hi-res image of Earth, and finishing on being able to see the planet at a kilometer per pixel res. It also comes with Land Sat 7 that allows you to view terrains up close, and you can even use it to browse your own neighborhood or notable landmarks close by.

The program also comes with SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) and used in conjunction with Land Sat 7 gives you an awesome vista of the planet at eye level. With this feature you can fly in any direction and in any location on the planet. You will also find NASA SVS interesting as it showcases high quality animations explaining various natural phenomena, and then you can have World Wind play it.

MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) consists of different kinds of data that is regularly updated by NASA. Among the data that are updated are volcanic activities, fires, floods, dust, and other natural phenomena. This feature is updated daily and you can download them using this program. Apart from the fantastic images, NASA World Wind lets you get rainfall, temperature, cloud cover and other data from any city in the world.

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Download NASA World Wind

Mathbuntu is packed with several software and textbooks to help you discover, learn or educate on mathematics. Sage is bundled in, as well as Maxima, a complete and free algebra system and also Geogebra, an interactive program devoted to algebra and geometry. Mathbuntu also includes R, a statistical program as well as Octave and Scilab, powerful and high end languages for numerical computations.

Apart from those programs, Mathbuntu also comes with LaTex, an open source program designed for preparing mathematical documents. In addition, it also has a text editor (gedit) that allows you to highlight LaTex syntax. If you do a lot of editing you will find Lyx, its built-in WYSWYG editor, very useful. Mathbuntu also comes with TeXworks and Texmaker, a tool that allows you to integrate and create documents.

While the emphasis is on mathematics, other kinds of software are included as well like Pidgin, an IM app that you can use to relay typeset mathematics, a calculator, and a versatile plotter so you can visualize 2D graphics. If you need to manipulate 3, 4 or 5 dimensional models, you can do so with K3DSurf.

With so many math programs bundled, it is unlikely that you will use them all, but there’s no doubt that you will find several of them useful. If you are a teacher or serious student of mathematics, this may be the only set of programs you will need.

Related Links:
Download Mathbuntu.

In other words, ChaosPro can produce just about any type of fractal there is. The limitation is only set by the formula you use. You can even utilize formulas made by other users to generate fractals. Among the popular ones it supports are Lyapunov Spaces, the Rossler attractor and other dynamic systems. In addition, Lindenmayer systems and IFS fractals are supported. Those new to fractal art may not be familiar with these terms, but you will get to know them better once you try the software.

Even though fractals are about mathematical dimensions, you don’t need to be a mathematician to use one. You just start the program and start dragging some controls. Adjusting the settings will produce striking images.

ChaosPro can make (AVI) animations. Your 2D fractal creations can be viewed in 3D. Advanced users can write their own formulas. But you don’t need to be a genius to appreciate fractals. The images are stunning and can be used for computer generated art or on the web.

Related Links:
Download ChaosPro

The program, developed by Cronyx Ltd, also has support for Wiktionary, Wikipedia and other Wiki based sites, and by using template Url patterns GoldenDict can use any website as a dictionary. If you find yourself using the software often, you can take advantage of its support for hotkeys, plus it has scan popup support. This means that when you look up a word from another program, a small window will pop up with the word’s meaning.

There is also a mobile version of GoldenDict and it is just as feature rich. Just like the desktop version, the mobile app has support for Dictd, Lingoes, Babylon and other formats. The Android version is also complete with sounds, images, colors and formatting. In spite of full formatting, word lookups in both desktop and mobile versions are very fast. Virtually all the features supported on the desktop are available here are as well. Also, it doesn’t matter how you type as the program will try its best to understand it.

It should be pointed out that neither the desktop or mobile version of GodlenDict have any dictionaries built in just as a music player doesn’t have any files, but its website has links to dictionaries that you can download and use with the program.

Related Links:
Download GoldenDict
GoldenDict on Google Play

Maxima is a full featured CAS with support for rational numbers, arbitrary-precision arithmetic integers as well as floating point numbers. The only limitation of its number and integer capability is your computer’s memory. Although it is a general purpose software, you can perform special calculations and polynomials, manipulation, linear system equation tensors, matrices, vectors, lists, sets and more.

Because Maxima uses floating point numbers, arbitrary precision integers and exact fractions it produces highly precise numeric results. The program’s source code can be run on Windows, Mac and versions of Linux. Maxima has its own programming language, and the syntax is similar to ALGOL.

It’s capabilities do not end there as you can also use it to plot data and functions in 2D and 3D. Among the areas of mathematics that Maxima can handle are differential equations, symmetries, number theory, and linear algebra.

This software is clearly not for everyone, but if you’re a student, a scientific researcher and your work requires the use of algebraic formulas, a CAS like Maxima will be indispensible. Not only can it resolve tough equations, but it does so very quickly. Even if you find yourself working with large complex equations, Maxima will be able to handle it, with only your system resources limiting its power.

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Download Maxima

This thesaurus/dictionary is packed with information that word buffs and researchers will love. There is regular expression-based search, notifications and hot key lookup. When you look up a word, Artha can turn up its meaning, what part of speech it is and other useful information.

Some of the data that it can produce are domain terms, attributes and derivatives. The hot key lookup makes it easy to search meanings (the default hotkey is Ctrl+Alt+W). You can also use the notifications. The meanings pop up in balloons, allowing you to work with no interruptions. Artha accepts regular expression search; even if you don’t know a word’s complete spelling, you’ll find it.

Artha’s on the fly search makes it easy to filter terms. The program will display possible matches for what you are typing. There is a history showing what words you have looked up.

The history data can be removed if you want. They can also be saved of course. Artha also offers suggestions when you type. In case you misspell a word or typed incorrectly, the program will display the closest matches to what you typed.

Artha is available for Windows, GNU/Linux and Windows Phone 7. It has been successfully tested on Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. It also runs on Xfee, KDE and GNOME.

Related Links:
Artha Official Website

IHandy Level can be used for a variety of household tasks like roof pitch calculations. It can also be used to measure walls, furniture, decors and take various angles. Students can rely on this to perform assorted measurements. Because iHandy Level uses the iPhone’s accelerometer, the results are spot-on. In fact the app can be used for measuring vehicle inclination.

The spirit level is in the middle of the circular shape. At the upper left is the measurement gauge. The goal is to get the figure as near 0 degrees as possible. The software is also pretty easy to use. The calibration button lets a user place the level at zero. The Hold button lets you position the level and set a straight line. Among the options at the Settings are bubble sensitivity adjustments and the option to disable the hold and calibration buttons.

To ensure the accuracy of the results, you should calibrate the app before using it. Just look for a flat surface. Place your phone or tablet on it. Tap the calibrate button. To calibrate in landscape mode, flip your device 90 degrees. That’s all it takes; iHandy Level is now ready for use.

iHandy Level Free is a no-frills app. But it is highly recommended for anyone who needs to arrange shelves, put a picture frame or do anything that requires precision.

Related Links:
iHandy Level Free on iTunes
iHandy Level Free on Google Play
iHandysoft Official Website
iHandySoft at LinkedIn
iHandySoft on Twitter

RunKeeper tracks your total miles run and monitors your pace. Using the app you’ll be able to progress easily. The fitness app has plenty of features for beginner and advanced fitness enthusiasts. New runners will appreciate the coaching feature. When turned on, it will tell you how far you have run, your present time and your current pace. If you want to run with no interruptions, just turn it off.

One of the coolest features of RunKeeper is you can play and manage music. Your music collection can be shuffled. You can create playlists from within the app. This is great for runners who don’t like switching apps just to listen to music.

In spite of its name, the app isn’t just for runners. Cyclists, skiers, swimmers and hikers can use it to track their progress. To use, select the right activity from the screen. RunKeeper will now track your progress. The app uses GPS by default. If you’re on the treadmill or there’s no GPS signal, change the input type to manual.

No matter what activity you are doing, RunKeeper will monitor your time, calories burned and distance. You will be informed of personal milestones and personal bests. Activities can be converted into routes. Your history is tracked so you can assess them later.

Related Links:
RunKeeper on iTunes
RunKeeper on Google Play
RunKeeper Official Website
RunKeeper on Facebook
RunKeeper on Twitter

It can give you information on planets, asteroids, nebulae, galaxies and comets. The software supports many catalogs including Guide Star and Tycho. Other catalogs can be used so you can see thousands of stars.

Standard planetarium features are built-in. You can view the sky in different ways. There are controls for zooming in. Colored stars make them easier to identify. The interface isn’t flashy, but it is fairly easy to learn. There are many features here that will please advanced and novice users. If you want to locate more stars, you can get the other catalogs on their website. If you are really serious about astronomy, you can get the PPMXL catalog (magnitude 20).

Cartes du Ciel can compute ephemerides for lunar and solar eclipses between two dates. You can calculate ephemerides for asteroids, the sun, comets and the moon. The software also has a variable observer that can gauge maxima and minima for various stars. The software is capable of handling a computerized telescope mount.

Next to the planetarium window are images of various deep space objects. It also has a Quick Locate feature. Simply choose the star you want to examine. It will show up instantly. The multiple eyepiece display is also useful. After defining the eyepiece view, you can show them on the map as circles simultaneously.

Related Links:
Download Cartes du Ciel

The search feature is very flexible. You can look for specific food. It can generate random recipes if you want to try something different. You can also find out what other users are preparing.

But there’s more to Big Oven app than just looking for food. It comes with a rich array of tools for preparing meals. It can create grocery lists set on the recipes you made. Its calendar based planner is perfect for those who love menu planning. The app is visually appealing and well arranged.

The photos and layout is similar to those of a stylish magazine. Ingredients are clearly defined; also included are calorie contents and how many it can serve. Reviews of recipes are also at your perusal.

But there’s no question Big Oven’s biggest feature is its search tool. You can find recipes that have been uploaded by other users including your own. Recipes can be reviewed and rated. The search feature allows you to look for items by ingredients, popularity, username or keyword. You can even search for recipes for leftovers, perfect for the stuff left in the fridge. Recipes can be shared on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Big Oven keeps your Favorites, recipes and grocery list are available even when offline. You just need to view the item once offline and it will be stored locally. However, you need to be online to search the other recipes.

Related Links:
Big Oven App for iTunes
Big Oven App on Google Play
Big Oven App on Twitter
Big Oven Official Website
Big Oven App on Facebook