Useful Things

Rectangle is a super utility to easily manage multiple open windows on the Mac OS desktop.

MacUpdater is published by www.corecode.io and is very useful for keeping application updated.  The Apple App Store is useful for updating only the apps that were purchased there. However, most Mac users still have dozens of programs that they have found elsewhere and we want them updated too. MacUpdater is an inexpensive utility that can run in the background or as a stand alone application. I feel it is very generously priced without having a monthly subscription fee!

Moneydance is a full featured home financial package that works offline, without requiring annual subscriptions or renewals. It includes a the functionality needed to keep a checkbook, reconcile accounts, graph and chart your financial budget and health, and more. Our family has been using Moneydance for nearly two months and we LOVE it. There is a free trial available and the license to run fully enabled is $49.99. Available at: www.moneydance.com Available in Mac (64bit), Windows (32bit), Linux, iOS, and Android.

Onyx is a very useful utility program that helps users make powerful terminal unix/linux commands. Empty cache files, verify the file integrity, force delete the trash, overwrite deleted files. All good stuff to keep your Mac working at top speed. This software is free from Titanium Software. Easily found via search engine.

Luminar 4 is published by Skylum Software. You can use it as a stand-alone program, in conjunction with Apple Photos, or as a plug-in for other graphic editing programs. To review Luminar in audio format only is to fall way short of what this program does. Please visit their website at: www.skylum.com and this program will amaze you. Take the trial version for a test drive and you will be hooked.  My thanks to Skylum Software for the NFR review copy. I look forward to reviewing other titles for you in the future!

PDFpenPro is a utility for editing and manipulating PDF files. It hands everything from organization, pagination, input and conversion, and editing. If you need a simple signature box, you can create one or upload to Docusign for a legal signature. PDFpenPro has saved me many hours of frustration in dealing with forms and PDF content. It is one of my personal top 10 must useful software programs on Mac. Download the free trial and see for yourself! www.smilesoftware.com This podcast is made possible by JD Young, Technologies. Where we solve business challenges with hardware and software.

Most desktop publishing software is expensive. Most of the top products are expensive costing hundreds of dollars. Many cheap desktop publishing titles have come out over the years with little to no support. When new operating systems come out, they aren't updated so the software becomes obsolete.  Lemkesoft.de has been producing and supporting new versions of their desktop publishing program, iCalamus2, since the late 80's. They have a free trial version and the full registered version is only $59.99 online. You can even e-mail Thorsten yourself for support!

The very first Podcast. Today I give a light review Graphic Converter 11 for Mac OS X, a graphic editing package that has been around on the Mac platform since OS 7.  Not only is this little gem still around, but it still being developed and supported at www.lemkesoft.com. A special shout out to Thorsten Lemke for the NFR License I am reviewing! Graphic Converter started out as a utility. At one point, if you wanted to convert a picture from Atari to Mac to PC and back, then Graphic Converter was the only game in town. Now the software has evolved into a full fledged image editor. However, Bulk Processing is where it really shines. Do you need a whole ton of pictures rotated, compressed, brightened, or watermarked? Graphic Converter can do it and FAST. -John McMinn