I used ActivePresenter for several years, and I think it's the best free screen recording solution. But comparing its high quality, there're only so few people know it. So I'd like to write something  for it.

For those who have researched a lot in free screen recording solutions, these are some candidates:
- WebEx recorder: small, easy to use, good for long time recording. hard to edit and publish.
- Camstudio: classic, open source, large video size, not updated for a few years.
- Wink: it's good for flash (.swf), but not for now days "video". not updated for a few years
- FlashBack Express: most people think it's the winner  -- until they get to know ActivePresenter  :)

ActivePresenter is  a recorder, so it can:
- capture area, window, full screen, fixed size(some predefined size)
+ use predifined and DIY profile: mouse, click, input, video, fps, audio , hotkey...
+ change screen resolution in AP

But it's more than a recorder, you can even use it as an audio video edtiro:
- add recordings into project
- also import image\ video\ office documents into project
- split/ cut video
- add annotation: shape, text, highlight, spotlight. and for each element, you can set the fore and background color, fonts, size, time span, fade in/out ...
- recording while edit
- automatic audio via Text to Speech engine

For publish, AP can export to:
- Video (MP4, FLV, AVI, WMV, WebM, MKV)
- Images (PNG, JPEG)
- pro versions can also export to HTML, interactive Flash and HTML5 simulation, or other document formats (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX).

visit http://atomisystems.com/activepresenter/free-edition/ for more information
If someone are interested in the Pro version -- I think the free edition is enough -- I can help to get discount  :up:

XMind is a very powerful mindmap software for Windows/Linux/Mac.
I think it's better than FreeMind in terms of functions.

It has freeware/open source version, which is enough for most users.
Also, it has Plus (79 usd), Pro version(99 or 129 usd).

Now, XMind Plus 2012 is free for Edu/Nonprofit Org before May 31.
ID photo needed to upload, so they know that you are a student/teacher or work for a non-profit organization.
Get it: https://www.xmind.net/buy/?t=edu&p=plus

there are many such kinds of software like notes taker/info manager/outliner, most of them are so powerful.
there are also many threads about such tools in this forum.
but I noticed, many people, include me, dont like the support of RTF or html or attachment.
what we really want is a simple "plain text" organzier.

they should be small & quick, powerful & stable.
should can: export/import text, quick search in all datebase, tree stucture, support utf-8. (treepad have bug in support Chinese, jreepad OK)
better can: tabbed interface, password protect, tag, support external editor (I enjoy vim), freeware
no need: text format, attachment.

maybe most of the developers think, plain text is so limited, so they have to expand it to rtf or html.
but there also are some users, they think formated text are far beyond their needs, and eager to go back to plain text.

Will we appeal for it together ?
Will some one, including the more advanced tools's author, will develop/degrade such a tool for us ?