Mac OS

iPhoto lets you import your pictures from your digital camera, organise, edit, improve, and share them in a number of different ways. Just plug your camera into Mac's USB port and iPhoto automatically imports, catalogues, stores, and displays your photos onscreen.

Licence: Freeware.
Online: http://www.apple.com.au/iphoto/
Operating system: Mac OS X.
Requires: Mac OS X 10.1.2.

Install instructions

		Mac OS

Swatch promoted .beats as a standardised Internet time. Each day is divided into 1000 .beats, and @0 beats is midnight in Biel, Switzerland (midnight, Central European Time). The idea seems to be to provide a standardised time (e.g., an online chat session might be scheduled for @300) for people in different time zones in a way that doesn't favour those living in a particular zone in the way that using GMT does. Anyway, iBeatTime puts the time in .beats in the menu bar and optionally in a skinnable translucent window, and provides converters between .beats and local time in either direction. Of the three supplied skins, we think "Beat symbol" is the best looking and the most consistent with Aqua.

Licence: Freeware
Online: http://homepage.mac.com/edotsoftware
Operating system: Mac OS X.
Requires: Mac OS X.

Install instructions

		Mac OS

Apple Data Detectors was a handy, if under-utilised, technology for classic Mac OS. InstantLinks provides some similar functions for Mac OS X via the Services menu. Select some text in a Services-aware application and pick an InstantLinks function such as dictionary or encyclopedia lookup, or submit a report to SpamCop. Some of the supported services aren't relevant here, but there is room for "the strings mapping to be altered by the clueful user" to access alternative services. (We would try modifying the contents of the Localizable.strings file within the package.)

Licence: Serviceware (an interesting concept that solicits shareware-style payments from users until the cost of development is recouped, at which time the software will be put under the GPL or a less restrictive licence).
Online: http://www.subsume.com
Operating system: Mac OS X.
Requires: Mac OS X (exact version not specified, but we suspect it requires 10.1).

Install instructions

		Mac OS

Various databases including dictionaries and other reference works are available online. MacDICT searches 11 of them for exact or approximate matches (using Soundex, regular expression, substring or other strategies) for the words you enter. Computing terms are well served by Jargon File and The Free Online Dictionary of Computing, but WordNet and the CIA World Factbook provide more general information.

Licence: Donationware.
Online: http://www.bainsware.com
Operating system: Mac OS X (Use MacDICT 2.1 for Mac OS).
Requires: Mac OS X.

Install instructions

		Mac OS

Want to make a bootable copy of a Mac OS X system volume with all privileges and links intact? OSXCOPY does the job. It isn't a true volume cloner since it only copies the core Mac OS X folders where these considerations are an issue, but it is nevertheless a handy addition to your toolkit. Be sure to read the instructions before using, as OSXCOPY is designed to completely replace any matching folders on the destination.

Licence: Freeware.
Online: http://homepage.mac.com/jsatter/
Operating system: Mac OS X.
Requires: Mac OS X.

Install instructions

		Mac OS

We're keen on automation utilities. Computers are supposed to make life easier, so why keep repeating the same sequence of operations? Youpi Key can execute a set of actions when triggered by a keystroke or menu selection, or at a certain time of day. Actions can be as simple as a simulated keystroke or a complex series of operations including switching applications, simulated mouse actions, running Unix commands and opening URLs. Youpi Key can also run AppleScripts, and its sequences can be triggered from an AppleScript.

Licence: Freeware.
Online: http://perso.club-internet.fr/phupe/english/
Operating system: Mac OS X.
Requires: Mac OS X 10.1.

Install instructions

		Mac OS