(Another alliteration in apt adherence to awesome academic and addictive programs and widgets.)
Over the past few weeks my classmates have been sharing a bunch of programs and online tools that we use to help use though the day, below is my compiled list of programs, widgets and otherwise, along with a few that were not included in our presentations but I felt worthy of including.
Note: this list is primarily for Mac users.
PRODUCTVITY
SELF CONTROL
Ever find yourself going to Facebook, or checking your e-mail A LOT? Can’t stay away? Is it keeping you from getting your work done? Self Control, a freeware program that can help. This handy little program allows you to block any website for up to 12 hours at a time, thus affording you a little more self-control.
THINK
In the spirit of getting things done, Think is a program that helps you “Narrow your focus” by allowing you to have only one program in the foreground at a time.
QUICKSILVER
I am not sure what I would do without this program. It completely streamlines the process of opening programs and files. All you have to do is create a key command, and then just start typing whatever it is you need to open. But wait there is more. Hit “tab” and a whole new world is at your fingertips; FTP, queuing iTunes, moving files, e-mail and more can all be commanded though Quicksilver. Take the dao mentality of wei wu wei to heart and act without doing.
Opening up iTunes
MESSANGER
SKYPE
Chat and make calls across the world with ease. I am an Adium addict, but there are two fail points to my favorite instant messenger. First Adium does not do video chat; something which Skype not only does, but seems to do better than any other messenger out there. And, two, Adium’s support for file transfer is spotty at best. So, get your buddies on Skype, and “set your conversations free.”
Looks like tweetie got to sneak into my screenshot of an across the classroom video chat between a classmate and me.
ADIUM
The best Mac messenger out there, combine almost all your accounts into one. It’s also free so there is no reason not to use it. And, you can customize the appearance to match your preferences and desktop background.
All of these messengers are supported though Adium.
TYPEOGRAPHY
FLIPPING TYPICAL
This little web app it a great way to quickly compare typefaces. Simply type in a few words and watch them appear on your screen.
Morph is the name of a specialty shop project I’m working on.
TYPETESTER
Another handy web app for comparing the look of blocks of text, change the leading, typeface, and color of your type. Compare, contrast and more.
HTML FTP, & CSS
FIREBUG
When it comes to debugging code, it is always a hassle. Firebug is a Firefox plugin that helps the process along. By showing you your code hand helping you find all the problems quickly and easily.
WEB DEVELOPER 1.1.8
Another Firefox extension that streamlines the web development process. More than worth it. The extension adds a menu and a toolbar to the browser with various web developer tools.
CYBERDUCK
How do you FTP? There are a bunch of programs out there Cyberduck is considered to be one of the best out there. And, it is free.
COLOR
ADOBE KULER
When it comes to developing color schemes, Kuler takes the cake and decoates it too. You can use the nifty tools to create beauty or terror with up to five colors. From photographs, or mathematical formulas Kuler helps you make color pop. Better still, because Kuler comes from adobe, you can download your creations right into the adobe software with ease… if you can remember your adobe password.
Now if only I could remember my user name and password that I created in high school when Adobe didn’t own Dreamweaver… oh yeah now I remember…
GENERAL
APPCLEANER
AppCleaner is a small freeware application, which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted applications. It is easy to use and helps you keep your computer running at top capacity.
(sings) I’m gonna wash that app right out’ta my mac.
FUN
GEEKTOOL
This program embeds file content, web text and web images in the desktop. Most interestingly, GeekTool also embeds shell-command output in the desktop. This means you can keep Terminal commands running in the background at all times directly on the desktop wallpaper. For me I stick to having the date, time and weather in big bold typographic beautifulness and keeping a three-day update on my iCal at all times. It is great for quick reference if you want to know what the day is, what is due tomorrow, or if it is snowing outside.
My desktop. It looks like it’s snowing outside today.
SUPERDOCKER
For when you are sick of your dock always looking the same, this program effectively allows you to create and place “skins” on your dock.
MIRAGE 1.1
This app allows you to make your “dock” invisible so that all you see is the icons. Currently I am using this program; I like how “clean” it makes my desktop appear.
FINDING FREEWARE
Here are a few resources for finding useful freeware for the mac.
100 free useful mac applications part 1
100 free useful mac applications part 2
15 best Freeware Apps for Mac Users
