hotkeys

As an integral part of the Mac OS X interface from the beginning, all Mac users know the Dock is where people can launch their most-used software and check to see which programs are currently running. I always find it interesting to see how people use the Dock on their Macs because its inherent flexibility makes it something personal for every user. Everyone has a specific way they work or play, and the Dock is easily customized to fit each person's style.

A program I discovered today makes the Dock in Leopard even more flexible and customizable for the … Read more

Keyboard shortcuts don't just save you time, they're also good for you. Using shortcuts is one of the easiest ways to wean yourself from your mouse and cut down on repetitive strain injuries in your hands and wrists. So any app like KeyCue that can help you learn new shortcuts and remember old ones is worth a look.

KeyCue is a very simple app; you just hold down the command key (or any key combination you choose), and KeyCue instantly displays a clear, clickable menu of all the shortcuts currently available in the application you're using.

KeyCue … Read more

This free program offers search capabilities that surpass Windows built-in search functions. It took a visit to the Help menu to learn how to properly search for specific files, but it was worth the extra time.

Super Finder's user interface isn't extraordinary, but it's easy enough to understand. Tabs let you navigate between date and time configurations and general setup options. You can search by file or folder name, and choose the file extensions that you want to exclude in the search. To narrow down or expand the search, you can select the drives that you want … Read more

There are many times when users wish they could have a secret desktop to hide things from wandering eyes. Sneaky Virtual Desktop offers a possible solution to users who need a quick place to cover their open documents.

This freeware embeds itself in the program tray as an inconspicuous black dot. Right clicking will give users a simple menu of options. Their desktops are numbered here (users can create up to 32), as well as options to create new desktops and delete old ones. There is also a simple settings menu that mostly lets users replace mouse clicking with hot … Read more

There's nothing particularly eye-catching about this free system utility, but it successfully performed its single function--to immediately lock and password-protect your computer.

Lock System can be activated by clicking on the desktop icon. During setup, you have to enter and confirm a password that will be used to lock your computer. To access the program's menu options and to actually lock your computer, you have to right-click on its taskbar icon. A hot-key combination would have been more convenient. Settings options are few, and include changing your password and running the program when you start Windows. Still, we … Read more

CopyPaste Pro is a utility that greatly enhances the clipboard functionality of the Mac OS. The program not only lets you maintain multiple clipboard items ("clips") for easy pasting across all applications, but it also keeps a history of copied clips and stores custom archives for static subsets of clips that you use frequently.

Like other good efficiency-enhancing apps, CopyPaste Pro provides a lot of different ways to access its deep functionality, with plug-ins for the menu bar and contextual menus, a comprehensive complement of hot keys and drop-down menus, and mouse-and-key combinations for pulling up your clip … Read more

Isolator is a small, simple application designed to enhance your productivity by reducing visual distractions. Isolator can blur, cover up, or hide all other application windows and the dock, with a quick keystroke or by clicking on Isolator's icon in the menu bar.

You can set blur intensity, background color, opacity, and fade speed, and you can choose from several options for how Isolator is activated and whether it opens on start-up. The developer behind Isolator has done an excellent job of adding functionality in successive updates (like the blur effect and support for multiple monitors) while making sure … Read more

It's just a minor tweak, but the descriptively named Calculator On Top is freeware that delivers.

Our only complaint was that it installed a desktop icon without asking permission, but since Calculator On Top doesn't support hot key combinations, we probably would have added one anyway for quicker access. The program doesn't replace the Windows calculator, but it looks just like it. The only difference is that Calculator On Top does just that--it stays on top of other open windows. Even though it just saves you a click, it's very handy to have when you're … Read more

KeyboardLink is a great little tool for turning your standard Windows keyboard into both a program launcher and a program controller. The app is open source and uses a scant 3MB of RAM. Getting started requires configuring the activation keys, called the master keys, in the program's General features tab. People can set one or two master keys, an important feature that prevents you from accidentally launching a program. Basic capabilities, such as running the app when Windows starts, also live in the General tab.

Other tabs allow customization of your media player and major software programs such as … Read more