Mac Gems
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Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Should I Sleep puts your Mac into a proper sleep routine
Filled with features and customization options, Should I Sleep is a valuable Mac utility.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Stay connected with VPN AutoConnect and stop VPN headaches
VPN AutoConnect is a simple utility for staying connected to a virtual private network.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Veteran Gem LaunchBar gets better and better
The latest version of this app-launching, file-opening app is better than ever.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Welcome to GemFest 2013
It's time for our annual GemFest (a.k.a., Summer of Gems). Starting today and continuing through the end of August, we'll be reviewing a new Mac Gem every day (except Sunday). Some of the programs are simple, some more complex. Some will be niche-y, while others will be programs everyone should use. The one thing they all have in common is that each is a Mac Gem.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Actions turns your iPad into a Mac control pad
Actions is a combination of Mac and iOS apps that turn your iPad into a nifty touchscreen control pad and shortcut panel for your Mac.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Moment puts Facebook in your menubar
Moment is a tidy, elegant menu-bar app that gives you quick access to your Facebook notifications, and makes submitting status updates as simple as click and type, or drag and drop.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Instacast for Mac makes listening to podcasts a pleasure
If you listen to podcasts, Instacast belongs on your Mac, particularly if you find yourself switching between devices when you're on the go.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: iFlicks tags and converts video files for iTunes with finesse
Apps that can both transcode video to different formats and tag files with useful metadata can be incredibly useful. And I've found none better than Jendrik Bertram's $20 iFlicks.Mac Gems
Mac Gems Promising Prospect: Shortcat replaces mouse clicks with keyboard presses
It's hard to use a modern computer interface without a mouse or trackpad, but Shortcat helps you reduce your dependency on point-and-click in favor of clever keyboard-based shortcuts that work nearly everywhere on your Mac.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Photo+ simplifies and streamlines photo viewing
ArcSoft Photo+ is a seriously no-hassle photo viewer at a great price.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Startupizer takes control of login items
Startupizer supercharges OS X's Login Items list by letting you determine the order in which login items load, as well as configure conditions that determine whether each item loads.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: OneSafe gives 1Password some password-saving competition
There's no shortage of password managers for OS X, but Lunabee's OneSafe, like the popular 1Password, sets itself apart with a smart feature set and impressive usability.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Mailplane 3 melds Gmail and your Mac
Looking for a dedicated Gmail client for your Mac? Mailplane 3 is one of the better options out there.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Scapple combines a text editor with a mind-mapping app
Scapple is a promising free-form, nonlinear, mind-mapping text editor that works well on its own or with Scrivener.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Keyboard Maestro 6 is a genius at repetitive tasks
If you find yourself typing the same text strings over and over, navigating to the same file-locations, or running through the same menus, you need to try Keyboard Maestro.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: iStat Menus is a standout app for monitoring your Mac
Bjango's iStat Menus 4 does a better job than the competition when it comes to showing you what's going on inside your Mac.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Swing for App.net makes it easy to share files
All App.net accounts come with free online file storage. Swing makes it simple to use that storage space to share files with other people and on social networks.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Highland is a minimalist, wonderful screenplay tool
Writing a script is fun. Formatting a script? Less so. Highland won't replace Final Draft for most professionals, but it's a wonderful supplemental tool for getting the most important partu2014the writingu2014on digital paper.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Eye-Friendly is a handy resolution switcher for Retina MacBooks
Eye-Friendly's keyboard shortcuts and multiple-display support make it a nice resolution switcher for Retina MacBooks.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Timebar turns your menu bar into your timer
Timebar's visual approach to timers repurposes your menu bar inoffensively.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Delicious Library 3 lets you track your movies, music, and more
Delicious Library 3 makes a real attempt to keep up with the digital nature of todayu2019s bookshelves, but itu2019s not quite all the way there. The appu2019s still worth buying, though, if the vast majority of your media collection remains in physical items like books, albums, and DVDs.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Delineato Pro is a clean, inexpensive diagram and mind-mapping app
Fapptory's Delineato Pro is a new diagramming and mind-mapping Mac app with a clean design and lack of visual clutterMac Gems
Mac Gems: GIF Brewery makes it easy to create animated GIFs
Animated GIFs are a currency of online humor, but they can also be useful. GIF Brewery makes it easy to create your own animated GIFs from your videos.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: The Unarchiver is a free, robust file-extraction utility
If you find OS X's built-in capabilities for unarchiving and uncompressing files to be too limited, you'll want to check out Dag Agren's free The Unarchiver.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Lost Photos recovers forgotten images received via email
Lost Photos helps you find photos, received via email, that have gotten lost in your ever-growing archive of old messages.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Spotdox makes all your files accessible via Dropbox
Spotdox is a nifty combination of a Mac app and a Web service that lets you remotely move any file on your Mac to your Dropbox folderu2014thus making it available via Dropbox from anywhere.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Stay keeps your windows exactly where you want them
Cordless Dog's Stay ensures your windows stay where you want them. It's a useful utility for Mac users who switch between multiple monitor configurations, such as MacBook owners who connect to an external display.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Pupil is a quick-change artist for the Retina MacBook Pro
Retina MacBook Pro owners should have a screen resolution switching utility, and Pupil is one to consider. Itu2019s convenient and pleasing to use, despite a few minor quirks.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Alfred 2 ups the launcher-app ante
Alfred 2, a major update to the popular app- and file-launching utility, adds workflows and customizable themes while maintaining the app's ease of use. But it lacks some of the configuration options of its more-powerful competitors.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: iPhoto Library Manager lives up to its name
iPhoto Library Manager is a capable tool for managing multiple libraries and copying images between libraries.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Disk Doctor 2.1 frees up storage space on your Mac
Running out of drive space? You can sort through your drive yourself to find files to dump–or you can save some time by using Disk Doctor.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Transloader downloads iOS-encountered files to your Mac
Transloader for Mac works with a companion iOS app to let you download, on your Mac, files you come across on your iPhone or iPad.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: TextWrangler 4.5 is a free text editor that belongs on your Mac
When those big text-manipulation jobs land on your desk, you should reach for Bare Bone Softwareu2019s free TextWrangler, which makes short work of tall orders.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Type2Phone pairs your Mac keyboard with your iOS devices
If you use your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch at your desk, Type2Phone lets you use your Mac's keyboard for easier typing.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Characters makes it easy to type special characters and symbols
If you frequently need to type special characters and symbols that aren't displayed on your keyboard, Characters makes it easy to do so from within any app.
Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Speedy Net is a simple tool for testing your network performance
If you've ever wondered about the performance of your local network, Speedy Net is an easy-to-use solution.Mac Gems
Mac Gems Promising Prospect: Notifi extends Notification Center
Notifi watches your Mac for particular events and then uses Notification Center to alert you to those events.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Email Pro for Gmail brings email seamlessly to your desktop
Email Pro for Gmail is a slender app that provides a convenient way to access your Gmail email directly from your desktop.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Shush gives you a systemwide mic mute
If you use a variety of audio and video apps, you'll likely find Shush to be a nifty app. It gives you a systemwide mute control, making it quick and easy to mute your microphone, no matter which app you're currently using.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Inky offers a fresh, human take on email
Looking for a new email client? Inky's sharp design, smart features, and overall plucky cheerfulness may win you over.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: TextExpander 4 extends its fill-in functionality
In version 4, the venerable text-expansion utility TextExpander gains advanced fill-in features, better performance, and some fine tuning.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: KidsMotion lets kids create fun, animated presentations
Paper, paste, and scissors are still fun, but KidsMotion lets your little ones build animated slideshows with minimal effort and parental frustration.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Vimari brings more keyboard control to Safari
With the Vimari Safari extension installed, you don't have to take your fingers off the keyboard to navigate websites and links.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: ForgetMeNot keeps you from forgetting email attachments
ForgetMeNot is an add-on for Mail that spares you embarrassment by making sure you really have attached the files you've referenced in your email.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Beamer streams video from older Macs to Apple TV
Beamer lets you stream videos from almost any Mac to an Apple TV, even if your Mac doesn't support Mountain Lion's AirPlay mirroring feature, or if the video isn't supported by iTunes.Mac Gems
Favorite Mac Gems of 2012
Now that you've seen the Eddy Awards and the App Gems Awards, it's time for recognizing our favorite Mac Gems of 2012.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Miro Video Converter makes it easy to convert video
But if youu2019re looking for a simple tool for converting video between formats, Miro Video Converter is amazingly easy to use, and you can't beat the price.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: CustomMenu provides quick access to your favorite apps, files, and folders
CustomMenu lets you create a custom systemwide menu for accessing favorite apps, files, and folders.Mac Gems
Mac Gems: Little Snitch snitches on misbehaving apps
Little Snitch provides network and privacy protection in a package that's easy to recommend to an entire range of users, from beginner to sophisticated. It's easy to use and train, yet itu2019s powerful enough for demanding users.
Mac Gems