Tag Archives: Mac OS X

Shade: Hide Desktop Clutter For Better Screenshots & Cleaner Work Area

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There are lots of ways to manage desktop clutter; besides actually cleaning things up, you can use apps like Folder Tidy and Desktop Tidy to sort and move files on your desktop by file type. You can also do something that’s much much easier: sweep it under the rug, i.e., hide it all behind a nice wallpaper so you don’t have to look at it while you work. Shade is a free Mac app available in the Mac App Store that adds a second wallpaper in front of all your desktop icons and hides them from view. App windows stay visible on top of this second wallpaper that is superficially imposed on top of the original one, and allows you to take a nice clean screenshot if you like or just work more easily without being distracted by the many items littering your desktop. Read More

Sharetastic Makes The Share Feature In Mountain Lion Omnipresent

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Mountain Lion’s new features were guaranteed to give developers lots of new ideas for apps, and they’ve definitely come through with apps like iTunification, Now Playing and Hiss, to name a few right off the bat. These three apps are similar in what they do, but perform an essential function for the new OS. Sharetastic is a Mac app worth $1.99 in the Mac App Store and is perhaps the first of its kind. The app imitates the new share feature that has been integrated across all stock apps in Mountain Lion; it runs in the Menu Bar and supports 11 services: Aperture, iPhoto, Reading List, Email, Message, Flickr, Sina Weibo, Twitter, Tudou, Vimeo, AirDrop - that you can copy and share items to. Items are automatically added whenever you copy something to your clipboard. The app supports shortcuts not just for toggling its panel in the Menu Bar but also for quickly sharing an item to one of the services it supports. Read More

Tomatoes: Pomodoro App That Lets You Add Tasks & Time Units To Measure Output

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The Pomodoro technique is usually good for getting most people to be productive, but at the heart of it, a Pomodoro is really a timer that’s running out on you and while it’s boosting your productivity, it is still just a timer. If the Pomodoro technique is one that works exceptionally well for you, then you might want to stop using an ordinary Pomodoro app and try one that helps you work better. Tomatoes is a Mac app worth $4.99 in the Mac App Store that allows you to add tasks, associate ‘Pomodoro units’ with each task and quantify how long you need to get a task done. Tasks and time units are recorded and archived accordingly. Tomatoes lets you add tasks and focus the time you’re spending on a single task at a time. A timer in the Menu Bar shows time left till the current time unit expires. Read More

Get A “Now Playing” Alert From iTunes In Notification Center

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A while back, we covered a little tip for viewing song alerts in the iTunes Dock icon. As useful as that tip is, with Mountain Lion’s Notification Center, alerts are handled differently. iTunes has been left out of though; with the release of Mountain Lion, there was no update for the iTunes app that would allow it to send alerts to Notification Center. iTunification is an app we covered that made up for this, but there were two problems with it. The notifications did not show up under iTunes in the Notification Center panel, and you also had an unnecessary icon in the Menu Bar. Working around both these problems is Now Playing, a free Mac app that does everything iTunification does, but without the Menu Bar icon. The alert you see when a song changes and the app’s notification in the side panel are also better, carrying no name of the app itself. Read More

iTunification Gives You Notification Center Alerts For iTunes [Mac]

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iTunes is a fully functioning media management suite, but the rate at which apps are being developed that let you control iTunes from the Menu bar, it seems we may as well forget the whole idea of having an app and just stick with something in the Menu Bar. That isn’t possible, however, since iTunes is more than an ordinary app that plays media files. What’s surprising is that, while there are a slew of apps available for controlling iTunes from the Menu Bar, Apple itself seems to think the minimized iTunes player is all that’s needed and has neglected to add, for instance, Notification Center support for iTunes. iTunification is a a free Mac App that makes up for this. Since iTunes does not support a notification system, this isn’t a question of re-routing Growl alerts to the Notification center. The alerts have to first be generated through a system and then sent to Notification Center, and iTunification does both that. The app also has a ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode that lets you turn it off temporarily. Read More

Desktop Tidy: Clean Files From Desktop & Sort According To Format

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A clean desk is a sign of  a troubled mind, and that is possibly one of the best reasons to let your desktop get cluttered with files and folders. The only problem is that as your desktop continues to gather clutter, it gets difficult to locate a file and sometimes to work. Mac users might still be able to locate files with the help of Spotlight, but that doesn’t make the desktop any easier to work with. If lack of cleanup time is what keeps your desktop looking like a mess, Desktop Tidy is a good solution. It is a Mac app worth $4.99 in the Mac App Store and it periodically cleans your desktop. You can define the time period for cleaning up the desktop and the app will take care of the rest. Files and folders are categorized based on their type and moved to a different folder. You can select any location for this folder and add additional file formats to the ones that already exist. Since not all items on your desktop are trash, the app lets you select items that should be ignored during the periodic clean up. Read More

PhotoMagic: Add Color And Lighting Effects & Frames To Images [Mac]

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Adding effects to photos doesn’t sound like a complex idea but as Instagram can testify, it is actually a billion dollar idea. Regardless of what Instagram is worth to Facebook, its user base is proof that amateur photography is something we can’t get enough of and photo effects play a huge role in this. PhotoMagic is a Mac App worth $9.99 in the Mac App Store and it is a simple app that lets you add a large variety of color filters, frames, textures and light effects to an image. The output image is very similar to what you get from Instagram except you have more effects to choose from. Altogether, the app has 72 color effects, 17 lights effects and 90 frames to choose from. The output is saved in JPG format and images you create can be shared on Flickr and Facebook. The app also has a crop tool that allows you to crop an image on one of four preset sizes. Read More

MoreSpace: Compress Files & Folders Into HFS+ Format To Save Space

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Space and file size matter more in cases where data has to be transferred online, because there is always a limit and because sending large files takes time and precious bandwidth that you may be short on. As far as your local hard disk is concerned, time isn’t a issue, but space still matters; however, files can’t be kept in an archive format all the time. They will have to be extracted each time you want to access them and will need to be recompressed once you’ve made changes. MoreSpace Folder Compression is a Mac app worth $0.99 in the Mac App Store that compresses files but does not add them to an archive. Files are kept in their original format and compression is on the HFS+ system. The app actively monitors any folder that you’ve added and compressed for changes, and when a change is detected, i.e., items are added to a folder, the app will compress the new items. In addition to compressing any folder you choose to add, it will also compress your email. Read More

How To Install OS X Mountain Lion On A PC [Hackintosh Guide]

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Macs and PCs have competed with each other for a long time and a fairly large number of users run both OS X and Windows side by side. If you’d like to see what using a Mac feels like (and maybe you’re thoroughly impressed with the images coming out of NASA’s control room featuring multiple Macs), but aren’t in the mood of buying a real one, a Hackintosh is just the thing for you to try. Although a somewhat difficult feat, it is possible to run the latest version of OS X i.e. Mountain Lion on your PC given you have the right hardware devices. In the event that your hardware isn’t compatible, you will, very likely, have to go shopping for new ones. With the proper hardware, creating your very own Hackintosh is simple. This guide details the process for running Mac OS X Mountain Lion on a regular PC. Tests were carried out on an HP ProBook 4530s. No changes to the hardware were made. You will need a USB drive drive that has 8GB storage space and a friend who owns a Mac. Read More

Hiss: Reroute Growl Alerts To OS X Mountain Lion Notification Center

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Mountain Lion’s Notification Center is one of the features that’s commanded a lot of attention and very little critique, if any at all. It’s also the feature that had everyone saying Growl, the popular notification app for routing and unifying notifications in OS X, would go the way of the dinosaurs. What some people forgot was that not all apps would be compatible with Mountain Lion, and not all developers would make supporting the notification center their top priority. That means for those who have upgraded to Mountain Lion, they now have two different kinds of notifications to watch out for. Hiss is a free app for Mac (Mountain Lion only) that makes the transition easier. It re-routes notifications that apps usually send through Growl, and displays them in the Notification Center panel. The slight downside is that unlike the stock apps that classify the notifications by the app name, all notifications are listed under Hiss. Read More

Change The Notification Center Background In OS X Mountain Lion [Tip]

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Notification Center is one of the highlights in Mountain Lion, and it is a direct adaptation of the same feature from iOS. The execution is spot on, but you will see a rather familiar background in Notification Center; the very same grey linen background that was previously used in Dashboard, and is still used in iOS. Not many users felt enthusiastic about the said background in Dashboard, which could easily be changed with tweaking tools or from within the system files. It might not have mattered much though since the Dashboard can be disabled and few people use it; however, the Notification Center is an entirely different story. It can’t be disabled, and it’s also incredibly useful, which means you will be using it even if bleeding kittens are in the background. This post describes how you can change the Notification Center background easily for one that appeals to you. Read More

6 New Features In OS X Mountain Lion’s “Preview” App

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In our extensive review of Mountain Lion, the latest installment for OS X, we briefly reviewed the new features that have been added to the stock apps. There are quite a few additions to almost all apps and many changes, like the addition of a Share button and the integration of iCloud, are ones that you will see implemented all across the OS. While some apps deserve more spotlight than others, we feel Preview, easily one of the most used stock apps, could do with better detailing. We found Preview to have 6 noteworthy features that we could only mention but not discuss earlier. The news that Preview now allows you to fill PDF forms has travelled fast and is perhaps now one of the more known features of Mountain Loin; however, Preview was zapped with these additional five tricks as well. For convenience, you can now rename files from the title bar, for peace of mind, you can now restore older versions of files, insert pages or images to a document from your camera or a scanner, annotate images or files with more shapes like ovals and call outs and finally, save files directly to iCloud. Read More

What’s New In OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion? [Review]

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Mountain Lion, the latest installment in Apple's OS X, was released yesterday and brings the version to OS X 10.8. Available to download from the Mac App Store for the promised $19.99, it is a 4GB download and boasts some 200+ features as per Apple’s official page. We aren’t going to sit and count off each one on our fingers, but here’s a look at what’s new and noteworthy in the OS. Apple hasn’t just thought of what new features users need, it’s also executed them well keeping in mind the smooth UI it is well known for developing and maintaining.  The new OS integrates better with its mobile counterpart, iOS, and even borrows a couple of features from it. Apps have been added or renamed to create a better, more integrated feel between Mac and iOS devices but with Apple, it is safe to say that no functionality has been lost. Twitter has been integrated and the promised Facebook integration will arrive later this year in Autumn. Some features of the OS, though not many, are tied to iOS 6 and while they are still there, will not be fully functional until the latest version of iOS is released to the masses. Read More

Collections: Desktop Viewer & Editor For Google Docs & Instagram [Mac]

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Google Docs and Instagram are two amazing services. Google Docs, although accessible from your Desktop (provided you have the Google Drive app installed), does not provide an editor, and Instagram, while developing its web interface, is still best used from your iOS or Android device. Collections is a free Mac app that supports both Google Docs and Instagram. While it is just a viewer for your Instagram feed, on the Google side of things, it is a desktop editor that allows you to edit, update and save changes to files in Docs. You can access documents, presentations and spreadsheets and edit them using the same tools available on the online version of the suite. For Instagram, the functionality this app provides is pretty much the same that you get from the web interface, but as far as great Instagram browsers for your desktop go, this app is a good contender. Read More

Send Links From Desktop Browsers To Chrome For iOS Without Jailbreak [Mac]

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With the recent release of some of the most popular desktop web browsers for the Android and iOS platforms, users have been looking for ways to to efficiently manage browsing websites between desktops and mobile devices. We recently told you how you could send links from Safari in iOS to the Chrome app that was recently made available, and quickly became one of the top apps in the App Store. Web2Go is a free Mac app that works with a $0.99 iOS companion app and lets you send links you’re viewing on your Mac to your iOS device. The transition isn’t direct, i.e., the Web2Go iOS app acts as a mitigator and sends the link to the browser. The catch, or rather, the slight shortcoming, is that you cannot send links in bulk. The app only reads the current tab you are looking at, and sends it to your iDevice's Chrome app. Read More

Droplings: Upload Files To Dropbox Public Folder From Mac Menu Bar

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Of the many reasons behind Dropbox’s popularity, its desktop client is possibly one of the more obvious ones. It simplifies uploading files and makes it so much easier to work on an item on your desktop, and still be able to save the changes directly to your cloud drive. For users who just can’t be bothered with uploading a file using the web interface of a service, Dropbox is a welcome solution. A while back, the little Dropbox folder on your system would have been the most amazing thing ever, but now, many services (like Google Drive) have created similar desktop clients, some even better than the former. Granted Dropbox’s desktop folder that syncs is still impressive, but in an OS like Mac, where users are accustomed to making better use of the Menu Bar, it sometimes feels like adding files to Dropbox is a bit of a drag (no pun intended). Droplings is a free Mac app that lends better functionality to your Public Dropbox folder by way of the Menu Bar. Files that you drag & drop on to this app’s icon are automatically added to your Public folder, and you can easily retrieve the public link. Read More

Launch Multiple Apps & Websites With A Single Keyboard Shortcut [Mac]

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App launchers and shortcut creating tools are some of the best types of apps to use if you’re trying to organize the way you start work, simplify launching apps or maybe impress any onlookers when you’re working on your Mac. Either way, apps like these are very popular and occasionally pricey, and, sometimes, ugly and complicated, too. Launch it! is a free Mac app that lets you launch apps with shortcuts you add yourself for each one. You can record URLs to open as well and when the associated shortcut is pressed, the website is opened in your default browser. If the browser isn’t running, the app will launch it. Launch it! runs in the Menu Bar, has no Dock icon and is perhaps one of the easiest apps to configure. You can add as many apps and websites as you like. The app will not warn you if you record a shortcut that is already in use by the system and will override system shortcuts. Read More

ReFind: A Bookmarking App For Your Frequently-Accessed Folders [Mac]

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App launchers aren’t uncommon for Mac, and many of these will allow you to mark folders as favorites for faster access. For the most part, these apps carry a price tag, and their free versions are often limited. Many simpler solutions exist; you can create and add a folder to the Dock and add aliases (shortcuts) for your favorite folders to it. The end result is a quick launch folder for all your favorite directories. The process is rather long, takes up space in the Dock, and is mostly manual. ReFind is a free Mac app that lives in the Menu Bar and allows you to bookmark folders that you frequently visit. Provided you access folders through the app's folder browser (which works entirely in the Menu Bar), the app learns which folders you access the most on its own. If you feel ReFind is cluttering the Most Popular category with too many folders, you can Bookmark a folder and access it from the app’s bookmarks. Read More

Math & Physics Equation Creator That Saves Output As Text And Images

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Not everyone has to deal with mathematical equations, statistical symbols or complex units. For the select number of people who do work with them on a daily basis, one frequent annoyance is the lack of symbol support in common text editors. While you might find some support for common symbols if you’re trying to write an equation that will be viewed across different platforms and in different programs, you are likely to find no support for these characters. Daum Equation Editor is a free Mac app that offers considerable support for writing equations. It is an equation editor that doesn’t just provide you basic symbols, but rather the correct equation format that you would use if you were to write it out with pen and paper. Take, for example, a scenario where you want to express 0.5 as an equation, you can write 1 over 2 using the divide symbol, but Daum Equation Editor lets you express it in the actual fraction format. The app lets you save your equation as either text or an image so you can later add it to a text editor. Read More

Music Player That Connects With iTunes & Tweets The Songs You Listen To [Mac]

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Both independent media players, and those that work with your iTunes library, focus on making it easier to listen to your music. Free apps that you find in this regard are functional, but the interface is rarely good, and when you pay for such an app, you will get a few more features and a shinier interface. MUSIC Pub is a Mac app that is available in the Mac App Store for $4.99 (definitely on the pricier side) that is a music player built for your eyes. The app plays audio from music and video files in your iTunes library, and at the core, is an alternative controller for iTunes. Its interface, however, is what sells it. Unlike your typical player that rests in the Menu Bar or is a boring window, MUSIC Pub looks like a tall glass of foaming malt (or beer, or whatever). Shaped like a glass, the music player cleverly uses its aesthetics to incorporate its functions, which include a rating system, play/pause, next/previous song, volume, lyrics panel and Twitter controls. Read More