TIME

Saturday 31 December 2011

Top 10 iOS Apps of 2011

1. Tweetbot

1After Twitter acquired Tweetie, it was easy to think that the need for a third-party iPhone Twitter client largely disappeared.
When Tweetbot came out in April, it proved that even the most crowded markets can still find room for a great app. Tweetbot quickly started to rival the official app in terms of beauty, ease of use and features. With a customizable shortcut bar as well as advanced gesture support, Tweetbot is an all-around great Twitter client.
Twitter revamped its official app earlier this month and Tweetbot became a saving grace for users who hate the new app and want faster access to the features they like most.

 

2. HBO Go

With HBO Go, the premium cable network showed everyone how a TV Everywhere type of solution could actually work.
HBO subscribers login to the app using their cable or satellite credentials and instantly get access to hundreds of movies and the majority of HBO's back catalog of award-winning television shows. From The Sopranos to Boardwalk Empire to Oz, it's all there.
When the app was first release for iOS and Android, only a few cable and satellite companies would allow their customers to access the app. Six months later,Cablevision and Time Warner Cable have agreed to support the service, which means that 95% of HBO subscribers nationwide have support for the app.
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3. W.E.L.D.E.R.

If Boggle, Scrabble and Hangman had a baby, the end result might come close to being as good as W.E.L.D.E.R., a word game lover's delight for iPad and iPhone.
W.E.L.D.E.R. has a simple premise: Build words by swapping letters across a grid. Run out of swap and the game is over. It's an incredibly addictive game -- one I've wasted many hours on since its release this fall -- and an instant-classic.
If you like word games, W.E.L.D.E.R. will make you smile.
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4. Super 8

When Paramount released a tie-in app for its film Super 8, it would have been easy to just phone it in and offer the standard mobile microsite with clips, trailers and trivia.
Instead, Bad Robot and QMx Interactive decided to do something special: Create a tie-in app that would be just as amazing if it wasn't a movie tie-in.
Super 8 turns your iPhone into a Super 8mm camera. You can control grain and picture effects, store and play back your movies and even upload directly to YouTube and share on Facebook and Twitter.
Bad Robot has followed up on Super 8 with the excellent Action Movie FX.
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5. Grand Theft Auto 3

It's hard to believe that Grand Theft Auto 3 is ten years old. Ten years later, the game looks better than ever -- thanks to the work Rockstar Games put into porting the game to the iPhone and iPad.
Everything from the PS2 classic is here. Even if you've been to Liberty City in the past, it's worth a revisit on the iPhone or iPad.
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6. Songza

Songza's iPhone app was a real standout in a year full of great music apps. The app, which basically lets you browse a seemingly-endless mix of themed and curated mixtapes, is a fantastic way to discover new artists or listen to music for any occasion.
I frequently wish I could somehow fuse my Spotify and Songza accounts into one super account. Increasingly, I find myself listening to mixes and playlists I discover in Songza more than any other mobile music app.
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7. Infinity Blade II

When the iPhone 4S was released with powerful new graphics capabilities, the first game to really show off the new glory wasInfinity Blade 2
Not only is the game gorgeous to look at, it's a blast to play. Games like Infinity Blade 2and RAGE HD have shown that iOS can be a formidable contender to other mobile gaming platforms.
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8. Instacast

Sure, iOS5 lets you download podcasts within the iTunes app, but the experience really isn't anything special and you can't subscribe without using iTunes for Mac or PC. Moreover, browsing and finding new podcasts can be cumbersome.
Enter Instacast, an app built from the ground up to deliver an excellent experience to audio and video podcast fans.
The app can sync with Dropbox or iCloud, can subscribe to new feeds from URL or by browsing your music library for podcasts you might already have from iTunes.
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9. Mixel

Mixel is an ingenious iPad app that allows users to create digital collages out of their photos or photos found on the web and remix the collages of others.
Think about art class in elementary school -- cutting up magazines and putting together fascinating vignettes. That's what can happen with Mixel, except it's on the iPad.
The most compelling part of Mixel is the way it intuitively uses social. If you discover a Mixel that someone else has made, you can follow that person's work and also take elements that they used int their Mixel in one of your own works-in- progress.
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10. AirPort Utility

Apple released a bunch of new apps alongside iOS 5 this October, includingAirPort Utility, a free app that allows users to manage their AirPort Extreme or Express from an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.
The app solves my only complaint about the AirPort Extreme (which remains the best router I've ever owned): No remote access on a mobile device. Now, you can restart the device, change passwords, check on other connected units from an iPhone or iPad. You can even set up a brand new AirPort Extreme from an iPhone or iPad, as I found out over Thanksgiving break.
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The101 Most Use full WEBSITES of 2011

Useful Websites Worth a Bookmark!

The sites mentioned here, well most of them, solve at least one problem really well and they all have simple web addresses (URLs) that you can easily learn by heart thus saving you a trip to Google.
You can also download this list as a PDF document for printing or offline reading.
01. screenr.com – record movies of your desktop and send them straight to YouTube.
02.
bounceapp.com – for capturing full length screenshots of web pages.
03.
goo.gl – shorten long URLs and convert URLs into QR codes.
04.
untiny.me – find the original URLs that's hiding behind a short URLs.
05.
qClock – find the local time of a city using a Google Map.
06.
copypastecharacter.com – copy special characters that aren't on your keyboard.
07.
postpost.com – a better search engine for twitter.
08.
lovelycharts.com – create flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.
09.
iconfinder.com – the best place to find icons of all sizes.
10.
office.com – download templates, clipart and images for your Office documents.
11.
followupthen.com – the easiest way to setup email reminders.
12.
jotti.org – scan any suspicious file or email attachment for viruses.
13.
wolframalpha.com – gets answers directly without searching.
14.
printwhatyoulike.com – print web pages without the clutter.
15.
joliprint.com – reformats news articles and blog content as a newspaper.
16.
ctrql.org – a search engine for RSS feeds.
17.
e.ggtimer.com – a simple online timer for your daily needs.
18.
coralcdn.org – if a site is down due to heavy traffic, try accessing it through coral CDN.
19.
random.org – pick random numbers, flip coins, and more.
20.
pdfescape.com – lets you can quickly edit PDFs in the browser itself.
21.
viewer.zoho.com – Preview PDFs and Presentations directly in the browser.
22.
tubemogul.com – simultaneously upload videos to YouTube and other video sites.
23.
dabbleboard.com – your virtual whiteboard.
24.
scr.im – share you email address online without worrying about spam.
25.
spypig.com – now get read receipts for your email.
26.
sizeasy.com – visualize and compare the size of any product.
27.
myfonts.com/WhatTheFont – quickly determine the font name from an image.
28.
google.com/webfonts – a good collection of open source fonts.
29.
regex.info – find data hidden in your photographs – see more EXIF tools.
30.
livestream.com – broadcast events live over the web, including your desktop screen.
31.
iwantmyname.com – helps you search domains across all TLDs.
32.
homestyler.com – design from scratch or re-model your home in 3d.
33.
join.me – share you screen with anyone over the web.
34.
onlineocr.net – recognize text from scanned PDFs - see other OCR tools.
35.
flightstats.com - Track flight status at airports worldwide.
36.
wetransfer.com – for sharing really big files online.
37.
pastebin.com – a temporary online clipboard for your text and code snippets.
38.
polishmywriting.com – check your writing for spelling or grammatical errors.
39.
marker.to – easily highlight the important parts of a web page for sharing.
40.
typewith.me – work on the same document with multiple people.
41.
whichdateworks.com – planning an event? find a date that works for all.
42.
everytimezone.com – a less confusing view of the world time zones.
43.
gtmetrix.com – the perfect tool for measuring your site performance online.
44.
noteflight.com – print music sheets, write your own music online .
45.
imo.im - chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.
46.
translate.google.com – translate web pages, PDFs and Office documents.
47.
kleki.com – create paintings and sketches with a wide variety of brushes.
48.
similarsites.com – discover new sites that are similar to what you like already.
49.
wordle.net – quick summarize long pieces of text with tag clouds.
50.
bubbl.us – create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser.
51.
kuler.adobe.com – get color ideas, also extract colors from photographs.
52.
liveshare.com – share your photos in an album instantly.
53.
lmgtfy.com – when your friends are too lazy to use Google on their own.
54.
midomi.com – when you need to find the name of a song.
55.
bing.com/images – automatically find perfectly-sized wallpapers for mobiles.
56.
faxzero.com – send an online fax for free – see more fax services.
57.
feedmyinbox.com – get RSS feeds as an email newsletter.
58.
ge.tt – quickly send a file to someone, they can even preview it before downloading.
59.
pipebytes.com – transfer files of any size without uploading to a third-party server.
60.
tinychat.com – setup a private chat room in micro-seconds.
61.
privnote.com – create text notes that will self-destruct after being read.
62.
boxoh.com – track the status of any shipment on Google Maps – alternative.
63.
chipin.com – when you need to raise funds online for an event or a cause.
64.
downforeveryoneorjustme.com – find if your favorite website is offline or not?
65.
ewhois.com – find the other websites of a person with reverse Analytics lookup.
66.
whoishostingthis.com – find the web host of any website.
67.
google.com/history – found something on Google but can't remember it now?
68.
aviary.com/myna – an online audio editor that lets record, and remix audio clips online.
69.
disposablewebpage.com – create a temporary web page that self-destruct.
70.
urbandictionary.com – find definitions of slangs and informal words.
71.
seatguru.com – consult this site before choosing a seat for your next flight.
72.
sxc.hu – download stock images absolutely free.
73.
zoom.it – view very high-resolution images in your browser without scrolling.
74.
scribblemaps.com – create custom Google Maps easily.
75.
alertful.com – quickly setup email reminders for important events.
76.
encrypted.google.com – prevent your ISP and boss from reading your search queries.
77.
formspring.me – you can ask or answer personal questions here.
78.
sumopaint.com – an excellent layer-based online image editor.
79.
snopes.com – find if that email offer you received is real or just another scam.
80.
typingweb.com – master touch-typing with these practice sessions.
81.
mailvu.com – send video emails to anyone using your web cam.
82.
timerime.com – create timelines with audio, video and images.
83.
stupeflix.com – make a movie out of your images, audio and video clips.
84.
safeweb.norton.com – check the trust level of any website.
85.
teuxdeux.com – a beautiful to-do app that looks like your paper dairy.
86.
deadurl.com – you'll need this when your bookmarked web pages are deleted.
87.
minutes.io – quickly capture effective notes during meetings.
88.
youtube.com/leanback – Watch YouTube channels in TV mode.
89.
youtube.com/disco – quickly create a video playlist of your favorite artist.
90.
talltweets.com – Send tweets longer than 140 characters.
91.
pancake.io – create a free and simple website using your Dropbox account.
92.
builtwith.com – find the technology stack of any website.
93.
woorank.com – research a website from the SEO perspective.
94.
mixlr.com – broadcast live audio over the web.
95.
radbox.me – bookmark online videos and watch them later .
96.
tagmydoc.com – add QR codes to your documents and presentations .
97.
notes.io – the easiest way to write short text notes in the browser.
98.
ctrlq.org/html-mail – send rich-text mails to anyone, anonymously.
99.
fiverr.com – hire people to do little things for $5.
100.
otixo.com – easily manage your online files on Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.
101.
ifttt.com – create a connection between all your online accounts.

Top 50 best free iPhone apps 2011 Part-I

 
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These are the best free apps for your iPhone
There are now well over 250,000 apps available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and, surprisingly, many of the best are free.
The following list showcases our pick of the 50 best free iPhone apps, and includes iPhone applications for social networking, travel, news, photography, productivity and more.
If your top free iPhone apps aren't covered, tell us all about them in the comments.
You can also take a look through the top 10 with our nifty video.
 
 
1. Facebook
Once an ugly duckling, but now - as of version 3 - a social-network-aware swan, Facebook is a triumph. The revised grid-based 'home screens' provide speedy access to regularly visited sections (news feed, notifications, and so on) and pages, and the experience is such that it in many ways beats the browser version.
 
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2. Gorillacam
Pretty much from nowhere, Gorillacam arrived in December 2009 from the creators of the Gorillapod tripods. It mashes together a slew of features to hugely improve an iPhone's camera (timer, multi-shot, spirit-level, on-screen grid, 'press anywhere' capture), meaning you can bin a half-dozen standalone apps that offer similar things.
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3. RunKeeper
The prospect of Nike+ but better and for free might sound unlikely, but that's what RunKeeper provides. Previously split into 'pro' and 'free' versions, the developer now generously includes all the features in one free app.
That means you can spend no money, yet use your iPhone's GPS capabilities to track your jogging and cycling routes, and examine mapping and details of your pace and calories burned. Activities can be shared online, and treadmill runs and other exercise details can be entered manually.
 
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4. Stanza
Kindle's grabbed many 'electronic book' headlines, but an iPhone or iPod touch is a perfectly competent alternative - at least if you have the right app to hand. Stanza enables you to download books from various sources (many of which offer free titles), and you can transfer your own ePub, PDF or eReader titles from the free Stanza Desktop.
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5. Dropbox
Plenty of apps exist for transferring content between your computer and your device, but Dropbox is free and easier to use than most of its contemporaries. Dump files you want to sync in a folder on your computer and Dropbox for your device will enable you to access them, download them for offline viewing, and, in many cases, view them.
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6. thetrainline
For anyone commuting by train, thetrainline is the free app to beat all others. Journey planning, offline results, timetables and a location-aware 'next train home' option are available via a clean, streamlined interface. The app's not quite as good as National Rail Enquiries, but it is very similar - and five quid cheaper.
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7. Skype
It's imperfect and annoyingly lacks push notifications, but Skype is still an essential download. The interface is pleasingly simple and usable, enabling anyone with a Skype account to make free calls to other Skype users and cheap calls to anywhere in the world. If you're on Pay and Go, this is particularly handy, but the app also enables iPod touch users to utilise their devices for calls.
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8. Movies
Although some aspects of cinema listings app Movies are disappointingly US-centric (notably regarding details on upcoming movies and DVDs), it succeeds where it matters. Select a film and the app figures out where you're located, lists nearby cinemas, and displays times your chosen film is showing. Efficiency can be further increased by pinning favourite cinemas to the top of the list.
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9. TonePad
Virtual pianos and guitars are all very well, but purely digital musical toys are more suited to Apple handhelds. TonePad is the best of them, using a grid-based interface that enables you to turn notes on and off and compose pleasing and harmonious loops; your creations can be edited, saved and uploaded to share with other users.
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10. Thomson Reuters News Pro
There are many free news apps, but Reuters News Pro offers a breadth of coverage that makes it a winner. Preferences enable you to tailor the app's output to the UK, and the toolbar provides swift access to news, pictures, videos and stock markets coverage.
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11. Twitter (formerly Tweetie)
Tweetie was the iPhone Twitter client that other iPhone Twitter clients wanted to be. Its combination of polished interface, plentiful options and multi-account support meant everyone loved it - apart from cheapskates, because Tweetie wasn't free. Now, however, it is, because Twitter bought it, rebranded it as Twitter, and set fire to the price tag.
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12. Comics
In all honesty, Comics is a little awkward compared to using it on an iPad, but you won't find a better comics experience on an iPhone. The app is free, as are dozens of downloadable comics - and once you run out of those, many more are available to buy. Reading works on a frame-by-frame automated 'zoom' basis, and is surprisingly usable.
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13. Wikipanion
The Wikipedia website works fine on iPhones, but a dedicated app is a better bet. Wikipanion is a freebie which gives you quick access to article sections, in-article search, viewing options, bookmarking, and the ability to tweet about whatever odd fact you've just unearthed. Also, wonderfully, there are no ads.
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14. Evernote
Clients to access the popular Evernote service for storing notes and ideas online are available for so many platforms that we half expect a ZX Spectrum app to be announced tomorrow. On the iPhone, Evernote is efficient and usable, enabling you to rapidly scan your notes and also create new ones.
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15. Kindle
Now iBooks has arrived on the iPhone, you might wonder why you should bother with Amazon's Kindle. After all, the app's not as pretty as iBooks, nor is there an integrated store (you buy in Safari and sync purchases to the app). However, Kindle offers a massive selection of books compared to Apple's app and the reading experience is great.
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16. Around Me
Around Me figures out where you are and lists local stuff - banks, bars, petrol stations and, er, Apple Retail Stores. The app's reliance on Google Maps info means there are gaps, but it's nonetheless handy to have installed when in unfamiliar surroundings, and the 'augmented reality' landscape mode is amusing, if flaky.
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17. Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus
A million definitions and 90,000 synonyms are available in the palm of your hand with this free, offline dictionary and thesaurus. The app is fast and efficient, includes phonetic and audio pronunciation of words, and its interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone.
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18. Air Video Free
Air Video Free can stream (and convert as necessary) video from any computer running the free Air Video Server. You only get access to a small number of items per folder or playlist, but some careful planning can get around that limitation.
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19. Adobe Photoshop Express
If you're looking for Photoshop-style power, Photoshop Express won't impress. However, if you're after a quick, free, highly usable tool for making edits to your iPhone photos, Adobe's app is ideal. Use it for cropping, straightening, exposure adjustments, colour effects, sharpening and more.
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20. iHandy Level Free
One of the tools from the excellent iHandy Carpenter toolkit app, iHandy Level Free turns your iPhone into a spirit level. By default, it'll show just how wonky your device's accelerometer is, but tap the calibrate button and you get an accurate and great-looking level.
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21. Read It Later Free
Read It Later is an astonishingly handy service that enables you to save pages from the web, to read them later, typically bereft of advertising and other junk. The service is free, as is this app, which downloads stored articles for you to read offline.
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22. PCalc Lite
"But I've already got a calculator on my device," you might argue. True, but now you can stash default Apple apps in a folder, it's easier to justify replacing them with something better - and PCalc Lite is without doubt the finest free calculator for iOS, with a great interface and plenty of options. You can also bolt-on features from the paid version via in-app purchases.
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23. iBooks
Having made a big splash on the iPad, iBooks has now arrived for Apple's smaller devices. Effectively iTunes for books, the app combines a reader and store, in Apple's typically usable and integrated fashion. Usefully, iBooks includes PDF support and bookmarks automatically sync across devices.
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24. Red Laser
Now free, due to being snapped up by eBay, the Red Laser bar-code scanner is pretty accurate, even if you're still saddled with an iPhone 3G. It's great for checking prices while shopping, and also enables you to get your media collections into Delicious Library if you make use of AppleScript.
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25. eBay Mobile
And the reason for eBay buying Red Laser? So it could roll the technology into its eBay app, making it even easier for you to sell your unwanted tat. Naturally, the app also enables you to search the world's biggest car boot, in order to buy future unwanted tat.
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Friday 30 December 2011

How Many Browsers Do we Have …?

 
While most of us prefer to use Chrome and are familiar with FirefoxInternet Explorer, Opera &Safari,  there are several other Browsers available for Windows OS, some with a specific targeted feature set.
While I prefer to use the feature-rich Chrome as my default, there is one specially for the kids called as Kid Rocket.
Here is a list of a total of 26 browsers for Windows. How many had you heard of,  from these?
Google Chrome – Google rethought basic assumptions about what a browser should do & stripped it down to its essentials
Firefox – Mozilla Firefox has been the most successful alternative web browser. The browser traces its lineage back to Netscape.
Internet Explorer – Browse with more confidence knowing Internet Explorer 8 helps protect you from evolving online threats right out of the box.
Safari – Safari is an open invitation to innovate & claims to continuously redefine the browser, providing the most enjoyable way to experience the Internet.
Opera – Opera’s newest Web browser introduces a new technology platform, Opera Unite, allowing you to stream music or share files, photos and more, right from the browser.
Epic - The First ever Web-Browser of INDIA a faster and safer browser
Maxthon – Maxthon is an IE based feature-rich secure Browser, which gives a great browsing experience.
Downloads
In addition to high-speed browsing and instant-messaging capabilities, Netscape features one-click searching from the address bar; Quick Launch, which reduces the browser start-up time; Click-to-Search, which allows users to select a word within a Web page and search;
Avant – Avant Browser’s user-friendly interface brings a new level of clarity and efficiency to your browsing experience, and frequent upgrades have steadily improved its reliability.
Flock – Flock is a social brow - ser that integrates with web services for blogging, photo sharing, and bookmark sharing. Update: 13th April 2011. Flock has decided to shut down.
Kid Rocket – A Kids Web Browser with an Internet Filter, PC Desktop Protection & more.
Lunascape – Lunascape is the world’s first and only triple engine browser. It has been downloaded over 15 million times and it’s available globally in 11 languages.
Slim Browser – SlimBrowser is a fast-tabbed multiple-site web browser software.
Sea Monkey – It is a Web-browser, with an advanced e-mail, newsgroup and feed client, IRC chat, and HTML editing made simple; all your Internet needs in one application.
Prism – There are two ways to use Prism; as a Firefox extension or a standalone application. Either way, you can easily turn any website into a Prism application.




Deepnet Explorer – Deepnet Explorer is the world’s first browser with RSS news reader, P2P client integration and phishing alarm.
K-Meleon – K-Meleon is an extremely fast, customizable, lightweight web browser based on the Gecko layout engine.
Amaya – Amaya is a Web editor/browser, i.e. a tool used to create and update documents directly on the Web. Browsing features are seamlessly integrated with the editing and remote access features in a uniform environment.
Midori – Midori is a lightweight web browser.
Browse 3D – The Browse3D web browser offers user a visual advantage making finding and using web information more productive.  Using multiple browsing engines is made easier because each web page is represented by an image of that page not just a generic tab.
ShenzBrowser – This is a customized browser for individual use. It is simple yet functional.
JonDoFox Browser – Try it for private & secure browsing.
PhaseOut.net – PhaseOut adds functionality to your current Internet Explorer version. Once you install PhaseOut your version of Internet Explorer and its settings are not modified or touched.
CrazyBrowser.com – It is an easy-to-use fast browser.
Smart Bro – Smart Bro is a tabbed browser, similar to Internet Explorer, but with many new features, introduced to help you browse the Internet in an easier and more exciting way.
Bitty Browser – Bitty Browser helps you keep track of your favorite Web stuff by enabling navigable windows directly within your favorite sites — it’s like Picture-in-Picture for the Web.
xb Browser for Anonymous Browsing – The main advantage compared to other anonymous web browsers is that xB Browser requires no configuration or technical knowledge in order to achieve anonymity. xB Browser is open-source so you can feel safe knowing what goes into our code. Additionally, it is even portable on a USB stick so you can take it to work, school, or on vacation.
Sleipnir – Sleipnir is designed to be a highly customizable browser that you can configure to suit your individual needs. With Sleipnir, you can create your ideal browser by changing the design, skin, and visual appearance. You can also add custom functionality to Sleipnir with a wide range of plugins and user scripts.
AND Many more…
Not all may run on Windows 7  so do check the requirements