mac

Do you have a Twitter problem? Do you want to talk about it? Instead of going cold turkey, perhaps you can begin to wean yourself from the little birdie by accessing only the mobile version of Twitter on your Mac with BirdDrop. Then again, perhaps having one-click access to any form of Twitter from your Mac's menu bar will only increase the time you spend on Twitter. How you use it is up to you. I'm here only to inform you of the app's existence and how it works.

BirdDrop is a free app that installs a … Read more

Since its move to online purchasing and distribution of its operating system software, Apple has no longer included gray recovery DVDs with its Mac systems. Instead, if you wish to reinstall OS X you simply reboot to the OS X Recovery HD and use the tools there to format your hard drive (should you choose to), then run the installer to download OS X from Apple's servers.

While convenient for those with fast broadband connections, sometimes you may find yourself in a location without fast Internet and would benefit from having a way to reinstall OS X from scratch. … Read more

VidBas for Mac allows users to download videos from the Web to view them later while offline, so it may be useful to some Mac owners despite the lack of additional features.

VidBas for Mac comes with a free trial version that restricts the ability to download from the Internet. The complete version requires a $19.99 payment to unlock. The download completed quickly, as did the installation despite the lack of a native installer. Through the program's support menu, user instructions and technical support for updates were present. The main menu was easy to use, but had little … Read more

At least one Microsoft executive believes that Apple designs are good enough to cite as a yardstick.

After revealing that Windows Blue would officially be called 8.1 at the JP Morgan Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference on Tuesday, Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Tami Reller moved on to the topic of tablets, convertibles, and detachables.

"The HP envy x2 is a classic example of a beautiful detachable. When the tablet and base are together it looks like a MacBook Air competitor," she said.

How good is the Envy x2's design? "This 11-inch ultraportable laptop is cute, … Read more

For those who want a scanning program that adds features over those of native Mac applications, VueScan for Mac does just that--and it performed well in our tests.

VueScan for Mac comes with a free trial version that limits the scanners available for use. The full version costs $39.95 to unlock. The download completed as quickly as expected via a high-speed connection. A user guide was available as a link to the developer's Web site, which was a helpful feature. Support for updates also appeared to be available. The main menu had a dated design, but was functional. … Read more

Those who want to edit audio files may not be satisfied with the native options available on their Mac. WavePad for Mac functions well and has most of the features users look for in a usable audio editor.

WavePad for Mac is available as a free trial version with a 14-day usage limit, while the full version requires payment of $129 to unlock. Despite requiring the user to accept a lengthy licensing agreement, the program did download and install quickly. Video tutorials and technical support were both available. The program's main menu is cluttered but well designed. Buttons for … Read more

Looking for the most sophisticated terminal software with Unix-like options to access your Mac's system? MacTerm for Mac is a very powerful application, with tons of features, customization options, and a basic interface.

MacTerm for Mac is a free application that is currently in beta. This application doesn't have a native installer, but nevertheless it downloaded and installed quickly. If you are used to Apple's OS X Terminal application, after initiating the program you will be greeted with a very familiar interface, only with new icons and features on the toolbar. The application is basically a more … Read more

As viruses become more common on Mac systems, the number of tools for detecting and removing them has also increased. Mac Malware Remover for Mac is a simple program that effectively scans for a few known Mac viruses, but lacks the features of a full security program.

The program download completed as quickly as expected, as did the installation. Mac Malware Remover for Mac did require the administrator password for root access. The application did not have any instructions but was so rudimentary that they were not necessary. Technical support for updates was present. The program's main menu is … Read more

Lack of maintenance will most likely lead your Mac to become sluggish or less responsive. Maintenance (Mountain Lion) for Mac allows you to maintain the basics of your system without much hassle; but without a scheduling function, you'll have to remember to run it manually.

The installation of this free application is quick and easy. Maintenance (Mountain Lion) for Mac also offers a rather basic but quite intuitive interface. The application displays a single window divided into sections where users can select which tasks they wish to run. Users can select a single or multiple options by checking the … Read more