Chimoosoft's Mac Picks and Reviews

• ExifRenamer

• 2.0.1
• freeware
• 10/30/2006

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, 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, then this program will be a welcome addition to your workflow.

• By Stefan Robl.
• download
• screenshot
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• Control Scroll Zoom

• built in
• 10/23/2006

Not exactly a software review, but this new trick is so exciting and useful it was just pleading to be mentioned! On Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later (and possibly earlier?), hold down the control key on your keyboard and scroll to zoom the entire screen in and out! This works on recent PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro trackpads which support scrolling, or on any other Mac with a scroll wheel (or ball) enabled mouse. Similar functionality has been available for quite some time by turning zoom on in the Universal Access system preference pane and using ⌘⌥+ and - (option command plus and minus), but the scroll wheel method is much smoother and more convenient to use. Turning zoom on or off in this preference doesn't seem to have any effect on whether or not the new scroll zooming works.

• By Apple, Inc.
• screenshot
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• Google Notifier

• 1.9.90
• freeware
• 10/16/2006

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.
• download
• screenshot
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• Full Key Codes

• 1.1
• freeware
• 10/9/2006

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.
• download
• screenshot
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• LaunchBar

• 4.1.1
• demo
• 10/2/2006

Quite possibly the best efficiency enhancement available for Mac OS X! One of the main drawbacks of modern operating systems including Mac OS X is the difficulty of finding things - especially applications. Spotlight is a step in the right direction, but still far too slow for true harmony. The dock can hold a limited subset of commonly used applications or even a folder for hierarchical browsing, but these methods fall short as well. Searching visually for a given app can be time consuming and frustrating especially for those less commonly used.

Launch Bar is another application from the NeXT days which aims to solve this problem. To access a given application, simply type ⌘ (command) space, and then the first few letters of its name. A list of close matches will pop down from the menu bar; if the desired choice is at the top, hit return. If not, type a few more letters or use the arrow keys (or mouse) to select it. What could be simpler?

Extensive preferences for what to index are available as well as support for opening or viewing far more than just applications. Web site URLs, folders, files, address book entries, system preference panes, bookmarks, etc.. You'll wonder how you ever lived without this wonderful app!

Note, see also Quicksilver which was reviewed after LaunchBar.

• By objective development.
• download
• screenshot
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