Time Tracker 1.2.1 Review

Time Tracker is a freeware (and open source) program for tracking the amount of time spent on various projects. This software is especially useful when you're working on several projects, switching off between them frequently. Add a list of projects on the left hand side, and for each project, add one or more tasks (if desired) below it. Start the clock ticking and get to work!

A handy menu extra in your menu bar allows you to see whether or not Time Tracker is running at a glance and makes it easy to start and stop the timer without bothering to switch back to the program. The software is even smart enough to notice when you've been idle (not using your computer for a while) and asks if you want the idle time to count or not. All in all, not bad for freeware!

• By Ivan Dramalievin.
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Stellarium 0.9 Review

Stellarium is a free (and open source) planetarium program for Mac OS X, Linux, and Windows which uses OpenGL to render the sky. Unlike competing commercial software, Stellarium is extremely simple and easy to use - no manual required. Set your location using the map, then drag the sky around using your mouse. A toolbar along the bottom lets you toggle displays such as ground, constellations (with or without artwork), atmosphere, nebulae, and more. Simple to use time controls enable play, fast forward, rewind, and return to current time. Some nice touches including random meteors and twinkling stars are also included.

Even if you have access to commercial software such as Starry Night, you may well find yourself preferring Stellarium; it's quick, simple, and easy to use. This software does not suffer from feature bloat. Next time you're planning to go stargazing, check out Stellarium first; or even bring it along on your laptop.

Note that version 0.9 has a few quirks including a problem starting in full screen mode. These issues will likely be addressed soon, so keep an eye on their web site for updates.

• By Fabien Chéreau.
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iPhlickr Review

Today marks our first review of a program designed especially for the new Apple iPhone instead of the Mac. Although the iPhone is still a closed platform preventing all but the most serious hackers from altering the installed software, Apple has encouraged people to write web applications specially tailored for the touch interface and small screen.

One of the first apps to appear was iPhlickr; a fun way to browse photos from the popular online photo site, Flickr. Using the app, you can quickly browse the most recently added photos, photos by specific users or tags, your own photos, or the author's favorite feature: interesting photos today. Use your finger to scroll through the thumbnails and click on any of interest for a larger view. If you haven't already done so, try adding a bookmarks folder to the iPhone's Safari browser for storing iPhone tailored web apps like iPhlickr - ours is called "iPhone Formatted." This acts as a sort of "applications folder" for the iPhone.

Due to the nature of web apps, iPhlickr is likely to change without warning. This review refers to iPhlickr as of 7/30/2007 (no version given).

• By Chandler Kent
• iPhlickr Site
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Adium 1.0.4 Review

Apple's built in iChat is a great way to stay in touch with your friends or colleagues, but sometimes feels as if it's missing something. The freeware (and open source) Adium client gives users another excellent option which adds oft requested features including tabbed chats, encryption, and much more customizable chat appearances. Although iChat allows encrypted chats between .Mac users, Adium allows point to point encryption between any two Adium users regardless of network. This is a great benefit since most chatting protocols send every message in plaintext across the network making them easy to intercept (especially on public wireless access points).

One of the few features Adium is missing is easy to use voice and video chatting, although the latest versions do include SIP support which should enable this (unclear how to setup). But aside from this, Adium works well and is a good option to try out. Adium supports AIM, Jabber, MSN, Yahoo, .Mac, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, ICQ, LiveJournal, Lotus Sametime, Novell GroupWise, QQ, SIP, and Zephyr. Also, with such a cute little duck icon, who can resist giving it a try?

• By Adium.
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Perian 0.5 Review

QuickTime ships with all copies of Mac OS X and provides photo, audio, and movie playback services to many programs and the operating system itself. There are however many movie codecs in use on the web which aren't natively supported by QuickTime. Movies encoded with these refuse to play unless a specialized QuickTime component is installed.

In the past, users had to download and install numerous codecs to gain access to the full range of available movies; Perian simplifies the process. In one fell swoop, freeware Perian adds support for video codecs including AVI, FLV, 3ivX, DivX, Flash Screen Video, MS-MPEG4, Sorenson H.263, Truemotion VP6, and Xvid AVI. It also supports audio codecs such as AAC, AC3 Audio using A52Codec, H.264, MPEG4, and VBR MP3! Nearly every common format is supported with the exception of WMV (windows media) which can be added with the free Flip4Mac.

Installation is simple - drag the Perian.component file to your /Library/QuickTime folder and optionally remove any older components which Perian replaces. Congratulations - your computer will now be able to play almost any video or audio file you throw at it!

• By Perian Project.
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TextWrangler 2.2.1 Review

TextWrangler is a robust, fast, and free text editor for Mac OS X from BareBones software which replaces their older but widely used "BBEdit Lite" (first released in 1993). This editor is a good choice for those needing a powerful editor with syntax highlighting and regular expression support but not wanting to pay for a commercial editor. As with other text editors, this product is aimed at software and web developers; TextWrangler is not a word processor.

Common needs such as changing a file's line break characters between Unix, Mac, and Windows or changing the file encoding between variations of Unicode and Western (Mac OS Roman) are a single click away. Operations such as removing line breaks, processing (and searching) a file with regular expressions, or hard wrapping text are also trivial. The bundled command line tools let you easily open files from the terminal directly with TextWrangler removing the need to use older programs such as vi. TextWrangler also has better AppleScript support than almost any Mac OS X program you're likely to encounter and includes full script recording support. Simply open Apple's ScriptEditor, press the Record button, and begin working in TextWrangler; press Stop when finished and then replay your script. Unlike many other editors, TextWrangler is extremely fast and lean - this is the cheetah of text editors.

The latest versions of TextWrangler have gone a long way towards modernizing the program; a new toolbar, OS X native spell checking, and document drawer are some of the features which set this software apart from the original BBEdit Lite. Although TextWrangler covers all the basics extremely well, it doesn't do as much for you as newer editors such as TextMate which has many helpful macros and project level file management. Even if you don't use it as your main editor, TextWrangler certainly makes an excellent backup when the paid editors drop the ball on something you need to get done quickly. BareBones also offers a more fully featured commercial version called BBEdit.

• By BareBones.
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Free Ruler 1.7b5 Review

Free Ruler is exactly what it sounds like: a freeware ruler for your computer screen. Position one end of the ruler on the start point, drag the other end as long or tall as necessary, and move your mouse pointer around. The ruler shows the pointer's position with a dotted line making it easy to measure precise distances. Try using it in conjunction with control scroll zoom for even better results.

Why would you want a ruler? Anyone working with graphics or layout on a computer needs the ability to measure pixel distances on the screen. This program is a real help when debugging that troublesome CSS code or laying out a user interface. This may seem like a simple program, but it comes in handy more often than you might think!

Note: this may have issues when Leopard comes out due to Leopard's new resolution independence, so look for a new version from the developer at that time.

• By Pascal.
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Carbon Copy Cloner 3.0-b5 Review

Carbon Copy Cloner is a backup utility which has recently received a massive face lift and is now much more accessible to the average Mac user. Prior versions performed their task well - cloning a disk volume to a disk image or other volume, but the user interface was somewhat confusing for beginners. Version 3.0 still performs the same basic functions but is now easier to pick up and begin using without a manual.

The Mac software marketplace is currently rife with programs claiming to provide easy backup solutions, but most of them are either difficult to use, unreliable, or not fully featured enough. Carbon Copy Cloner appears to stand up well to the task, and it's donation-ware so you can pay what you think is fair! Although the upcoming Time Machine (arriving in Leopard) may alleviate the need for these types of programs for the casual user, Carbon Copy Cloner will still have a valuable place in the enterprise world for backing up servers before upgrades or providing a bootable backup of your own computer. In addition, as the author mentions on his web site, this software could be invaluable for backing up your computer before sending it in for repairs.

Using the software is fairly straight forward - choose a source volume on the left and a target volume, remote server, or disk image on the right. Press the clone button to begin the backup. Folders and files can be unchecked in the source to exclude them from the clone and disk images can be created for you at run time and even automatically encrypted. A nice paragraph form summary entitled "what is going to happen" appears at the bottom for review before proceeding with the clone operation. Other thoughtful features include the ability to restore from a clone, schedule clones to occur at regular intervals (useful for servers or desktop machines), and run shell scripts before and after a clone.

Note that the version tested is still in beta, so some features are a little rough around the edges.

• By Bombich Software.
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Google Importer 1.0.1 Review

Google Importer is a convenient Spotlight plugin which queries Google whenever you perform a Spotlight search and includes the top Google hits in the results list. This provides a quick alternative for missing local search results; when information you thought was located on your local computer isn't actually there, you can seamlessly use the top Google hits instead.

Unfortunately, results can sometimes take quite a while to show up, but this may be a fault of Spotlight and not the importer. Perform a general query which returns many thousands of results, and a long delay will ensue before the Google hits appear, however, a more specialized query produces results relatively quickly.

Note: the software was tested on a 1.5 GHz G4, so the speed should be improved on newer Intel based Macs. Since results are filed under the "Bookmarks" heading, make sure to enable this category in the Spotlight system preference pane.

• By Caffeinated Cocoa.
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Quicksilver ß51 Review

Quicksilver is a freeware program which offers LaunchBar like functionality and more in a prettier, free package. No more time consuming trips to the Applications folder; simply type ⌘ (command) space followed by the first few letters of the item you want to launch and Quicksilver will find it. If the wrong item surfaces, a secondary match can be selected with the arrow keys, and Quicksilver will learn to bring up the correct choice next time.

Quicksilver goes beyond a simple launcher however; hit tab after choosing a program and an entire list of possible actions appears. Want to get info on the item you selected, rename it, or move it to the trash? No problem. You can even choose to open a file with the selected program, hit tab again, and then use Quicksilver to search for the file to open - without ever touching the Finder. A plugin interface allows even more extended functionality for many popular programs.

This program does so much it's quite impossible to summarize it in such a short review. For a taste, dive into the preferences and explore the nearly 100 actions, 100 plugins, and literally tons of customizability, or explore the extensive online documentation. Suffice it to say that there is plenty of functionality hidden within this software to keep you busy for a long time. After using it for a while, you'll have trouble using a Mac without it and will be downloading and installing it on each Mac you use.

Is LaunchBar dead? Not really; it's simply a matter of preference - both tools have lots to offer. Try them both and see which you prefer.

Addendum 11/6/2007. With the release of Leopard, Spotlight is enough faster to be used instead of QuickSilver. If you've been using QuickSilver, it may be time to give Spotlight a chance again as it offers some additional niftiness which QuickSilver can't match.

• By Blacktree, Inc..
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LotsaSnow and LotsaWater 1.4j/1.2j Review

Screen savers don't have any real use on modern LCD screens other than their entertainment value, but these screen savers definitely offer entertainment. LotsaSnow generates unique snowflakes and gently sprinkles them on your screen with options for setting parameters such as color, growth rate, and background visibility.

LotsaWater employs the much loved water droplet effect similar to the one used by Apple's Dashboard and lets water droplets fall randomly over the screen. Options to set the rainfall from gentle to pouring, water depth from shallow to deep, and others allow you to customize the behavior. Truly mesmerizing! A fairly modern computer is required for both of these; probably at least a 1.25 GHz G4 with a decent graphics card.

• By Circle Soft.
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AppKiDo 0.961 Review

AppKiDo is a handy documentation browsing tool for Cocoa software developers which relies on the built in Apple developer documentation. Although the program allows browsing by class hierarchy, the most useful feature is the easy to use search and the option to display all instance or class methods in the same list for a given class. For example, looking at NSMutableDictionary this way also shows the methods for NSDictionary, and NSObject.

Unfortunately, the browser doesn't remember your position on the page when hitting the back or forward buttons, and the keyboard navigation could be improved. Still, AppKiDo is a nice fast alternative to browsing the web by hand or using PDF documentation. If you're a Cocoa developer, check it out! If you're not a Cocoa developer, perhaps you should become one. Happy New Year!

• By Andy Lee.
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svnX 0.9.9 Review

Freeware svnX is a front end to the popular Subversion version control system. Although Xcode has built in support for svn, third party tools such as svnX offer more flexibility and support a wider range of Subversion commands. With svnX, you can manage all of your version controlled projects and repositories in the same GUI environment. Tasks such as tagging, rearranging your repository, removing files, browsing, and committing changes are easy to accomplish. Although svnX feels a little rough around the edges, it has been progressing nicely and makes a worthy companion to Xcode or whatever program you're using to edit version controlled files.

• By la chase interactive.
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MacTracker 4.1b2 Review

MacTracker is an incredibly useful application which tracks the technical specifications of every Macintosh ever produced (including clones) as well as most other Apple hardware such as iPods, displays, and AirPort Base Stations. The hundreds of details available are very specific and even include an area for keeping your own notes and comments. Although similar information is available on Apple's web site for current products, it can often be difficult to locate for out of date machines. MacTracker makes it quick and easy to look up the details on nearly any Apple product you can think of.

Great for researching possible upgrades to your system, troubleshooting, or simply amazing yourself with the fast pace of technological innovation. Other features of note include an iPod version (via the notes feature), timeline by year of models produced, indication of Apple support status for each model, and links to firmware updates for relevant machines. This product would come in handy in any situation where multiple Mac models have to be supported, e.g., at a business or school.

• By Ian Page.
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ExifRenamer 2.0.1 Review

Although this program does only one thing, it does it well and still functions normally on modern OS X systems even though it was last updated in 2002. Drag a folder of pictures onto ExifRenamer and it will do exactly what its name suggests: rename them based upon their EXIF metadata tags which are embedded in the files by the camera. The way it renames files is very customizable with regard to what date and time formats are used and how to handle duplicate photos taken in the same second. Now, rather than having your digital photos labeled like "DCM_015.jpg" you can have something more meaningful like "2006-10-30 12.23.35.jpg" which shows both the time and date in one glance.

To make using ExifRenamer truly seamless, set ImageCapture (in your Applications folder) to run ExifRenamer as its "Automatic Task" which occurs after downloading. Of course, if you use iPhoto or Aperture (review), this program probably won't be much use to you; but if you like to manage your photos by hand and use something like GraphicConverter (review), then this program will be a welcome addition to your workflow.

• By Stefan Robl.
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Google Notifier 1.9.90 Review

It's encouraging to see Google expanding their Mac software offerings with Google Notifier. Notifier lives in the menu bar and provides notifications of incoming Gmail and Google Calendar events. As email arrives, a black translucent window appears with a summary of the message; it automatically fades after a delay or when clicked upon. In addition to mail, Google Calendar events can now get your attention more readily by playing a sound and popping up on your screen. The menus also provide a summary of recent mail and upcoming events including links to the appropriate Google pages.

Unfortunately, the app is not without its quirks. First of all, rather than being a "real" menu extra, Notifier is actually a normal application located in the Applications folder. This means it doesn't behave as other menu extras do - e.g., ⌘ (command) clicking and dragging the icon doesn't allow repositioning or deletion as it does with other menu extras. The colorful icons are also against Apple's standard menu shades of grey, and a little too big - hence they look slightly out of place.

Notifier checks for updates every minute, but this setting is not customizable in the preferences. When waking the computer from sleep, it often checks before the internet connection is fully active and annoyingly reports an error condition in its menu icon.

Even given the flaws, this program is a good start and worth taking a look at if you use Gmail or Google Calendar. Things can only get better from here.

• By Google.
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Full Key Codes 1.1 Review

A useful program for software developers, but the casual user won't find much to use it for. Extremely simple and to the point - this program displays characters as they are typed along with their key codes in hex, dec, and the ASCII number. Lower rating due to the 'unmacness' of an empty File menu and grayed out Preferences which don't work, but the app itself still gets the job done. A Windows version is available as well.

• By Denis Bajram.
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Afloat 1.0 Review

"Afloat. Light as air." An unusual user interface enhancement which adds several new options to the Window menu of all Cocoa applications. The namesake "keep afloat" option forces the current window to float over all other windows; something which is occasionally useful. When a window is kept afloat, it is translucent unless the mouse pointer is placed over it, at which point it becomes opaque. Another menu option lets you arbitrarily adjust the transparency level of the current window. Probably the most useful enhancement is the ability to move any window by ⌃⌘ (control command) clicking and dragging anywhere on it rather than on the title bar as usual.

Requires installation of the free SIMBL framework (included with download) for loading additional code into Cocoa applications. Due to this "hack," it is possible that installation of plugins like Afloat could adversely affect the security or stability of your system, so proceed with caution.

• By millenomi.
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SoundSource 1.1 Review

When switching between multiple sound input and output sources using the built in System Preferences pane becomes frustrating, try SoundSource. This simple free menu extra alleviates the problem by allowing you to quickly choose a global sound input and output source with the click of a menu. A perfect example of something which should have been built in to start with!

• By Rogue Amoeba.
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AntiRSI 1.4 Review

RSI, which stands for repetitive strain injury, is a problem plaguing more and more people as computer use becomes ubiquitous in our modern world. Since treatment for this condition is difficult, taking preventative measures is the way to go.

This freeware gem helps you prevent RSI; AntiRSI keeps track of how much you're using the mouse and keyboard and reminds you to take breaks accordingly. Two different break types are provided - the "micro pause," and the "work break." During a micro pause, which may be on the order of ten seconds, moving the mouse or typing will force the pause to start over - a good incentive to hold still! During a work break, which is typically a few minutes long, movement only causes the countdown to pause which prevents you from accidentally resetting a long countdown. A "postpone" button is also present on the work break in case it comes up at an inopportune moment. This software is well thought out and worth trying!

• By Onne Gorter.
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