Need to convert your videos between major video file formats, create web-based charts, as well as editing or adding effects to your existing pictures?

Photo credit: Antonis Papantoniou

All this and more in this roundup of new cool visual communication and video publishing tools I have personally selected for you. This week:

1. ActivePixels: Edit your images for free on Windows machines
2. Cyclops: Search pictures on major stock photography engines
3. iCharts: Create Flash-based charts from input data or Excel tables
4. 1001FreeFonts: Browse and download free fonts for your Windows or Mac platform
5. Smush It: Upload a picture and let the system optimize it by reducing its size
6. Molv: Stream live images from your phone, and embed recordings anywhere
7. CellSea Video Converter: Edit videos with basic features and convert them between various formats
8. TubeMaster: Browse online videos on major sharing sites and download them in multiple formats

Here the details:

Visual Communication Tools

1. ActivePixels
   
   Active Pixels is a photo editor for Windows that lets you edit all of your pictures for free. Its interface reminds of Adobe Photoshop, and it has many features as layers, effects, freehand selection, and everything you would get in a professional editor. It supports more than 100 image formats, between which you can also find Photoshop's native PSD. Active Pixels is free to download and use.
   http://idea-systems.net/








2. Cyclops
   
   Cyclops is an image search engine that lets you make researches on BigStockPhoto, Flickr, Fotolia, iStockphoto, Photos.com, Shutterstock, stock.xchng and stockvault with one click. After you input your query and select where you want to search, results will gather divided by source, and you'll be able to click any image you like and be instantly brought to its download page on the source site. Free to use.
   http://cyclo.ps/








3. iCharts
   
   iCharts is an online service that you can use to create Flash-based charts easily. It allows everyone to upload Excel sheets or manually add data from which they can instantly create, share and embed interactive charts within minutes. Every chart can then be embedded anywhere on the web or printed. iCharts is completely free to use, registration is needed.
   http://www.icharts.net/








4. 1001FreeFonts
   
   1001FreeFonts is a huge database of free fonts for Windows and Mac platforms. When you land on the home page, you can start browsing fonts by category, see the day's featured ones, or even search for them. When you find one that suits your needs, you can simply download it for free, paying attention to the version you need (Win or Mac), and install it on your machine. Free.
   http://www.1001freefonts.com/








5. Smush It
   
   Smush It is an image optimizer that enables users to provide an image and it will automatically reduce its size with no quality loss. To use it, just choose if you want to use it as a Firefox extension, or whether you want to directly upload images from your PC or URL: after a matter of seconds your image will be ready for download, reduced in size but not in quality. Free to use, no registration needed.
   http://smushit.com/

Video Publishing Tools

1. Molv
   
   Molv is a mobile video streaming service that enables any phone to stream live images on the web. If you own one of the supported phones, you can register to the service, download the software, and start broadcasting live images in your own channel. Shows are automatically recorded by default so that you can later embed them on any page, but this can be changed in the settings menu.
   http://molv.com/








2. CellSea Video Converter
   
   CellSea is a web-based video convert and editor which allows you to add effects, change size, add sound or simply to convert your videos to other formats. Just upload a video from PC ur URL (from sharing websites like YouTube, GoogleVideo, DailyMotion): you can then set the start and end time to trim it, join one or more videos to it, resize and crop it, or simply convert it to AVI, MOV, MP4, FLV or 3GP file. Free to use, no registration needed.
   http://www.cellsea.com/








3. TubeMaster
   
   TubeMaster is a freeware portable application which can download multimedia files (such as FLV, MP3, MP4 ...) from major sharing sites like YouTube, and can save them on your computer. Using the integrated browser, you can make researches on these sites, and choose which videos to download as you watch them. All multimedia files can then be converted to other popular video or audio formats (AVI, MPEG, MP3, MP4, IPod, PSP ...). Free to download and use.
   http://tubemaster.free.fr/

Originally written by Nico Canali De Rossi for Master New Media and first published on October 12th 2008 as "Visual Communication And Video Publishing - Selected Tools And Web Services - Sharewood Guide Oct 12 08"