Utilities

Office Lens converts scanned paper documents to editable Word files

Anthony Bouchard ∙ February 12, 2016

For those of you that still use hard copies for all your important documents, or have physical business cards, photographs, whiteboards, and other important information that are looking for a way to digitize it and even modify it after the fact, Microsoft's Office Lens app will be your best friend.

Office Lens, which is a free download from the App Store, allows you to scan these kinds of information and media and can create software versions of them to make sharing and editing easier so you can get rid of the filing cabinet taking up space in your home or office.

In this tutorial, we'll give you some background on the app and show you how you can use it to scan and then edit documents in Word.

Browserism review: quickly switch between browsers on Mac

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Some people have different needs from different web browsers. One may have a specific function that another does not. But, you may like them both for different purposes.

Browserism is a shortcut app for OS X that makes it possible for you to quickly switch between web browsers with just a click or the stroke of a key. We've got a full app review of Browserism for you below. Find out if it is right for you.

Review: CleanMyDrive 2—stylish, lightweight app to get rid of junk cluttering your drives

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 17, 2017

MacPaw, a fresh, independent developer behind the versatile and powerful CleanMyMac application, today unleashed a major update to CleanMyDrive.

CleanMyDrive is a free-of-charge Mac utility designed to help reclaim free disk space by cleaning the junk from your internal hard drives and external storage devices such as USB thumb drives, SSDs and more

The new and much improved CleanMyDrive 2 app boasts a completely redesigned user interface that lets you check disk stats, drag-and-drop files directly to any drive, automatically clean disks after hitting the Eject button and more.

With it, cleaning hidden junk that's been clogging up your drives is easy and fun.

Just Press Record lets you record audio from Apple Watch

Lory Gil ∙ September 25, 2015

Have you ever wondered why, even though Apple Watch has a microphone and speaker, that there is no Memo app for watchOS? Me too. I use the Memo app regularly and, even if it were just controls to trigger the app on my iPhone, I'd be grateful for Apple Watch support.

Luckily, a clever dev team realized there was a hole to fill and created Just Press Record. It is a simple recording app for Apple Watch that allows you to capture audio, right from your wrist-worn device.

The development team at Open Planet Software told us that, coming in an update very soon, Just Press Record will support Glances and watch Complications.

Summarise – Talking Alarm Clock is like having a personal assistant wake you up

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 31, 2018

There is a number of different alarm clock apps available in the App Store. If you have trouble getting out of bed, you can ask Carrot to wake you up. If you prefer a lighter touch, Rise is a bit mellower.

Summarise – Talking Alarm Clock is an alarm clock that wakes you up with the news, a list of emails, your day's schedule, and more. In addition to showing you what is in store for you today, Summarise uses Siri's voice to read to you, too.

MacID goes free, gets audio controls, Notification Center widget, and more

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

A few months ago, I reviewed MacID, which is a biometric locking and unlocking utility app for iOS and OS X. Users sync the two devices together and sign in with their Mac’s password. Then, whenever you leave your computer, it locks. The iOS app allows you to unlock it with Touch ID or by entering your iPhone’s password.

MacID version 1.1 recently launched and to celebrate, the company’s developer has dropped the price of the iOS app from $3.99 to free for 48 hours. The update makes this app way more than just a simple unlocking feature.

Tether automatically locks your Mac when you walk away, unlocks it when you return

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

If you use a Mac in a public place, or around particularly snoopy family members or roommates, you probably worry about leaving your computer unattended and unlocked for prying eyes to see. Locking up before leaving your desk becomes a habit. But sometimes you forget, and it is always a bit of a hassle.

Tether connects your Mac to your iPhone so that it locks up when you walk away and unlocks when you come back. After set-up, you don’t have to do anything else.

Simplify for Mac review: access multiple media players from one controller

Lory Gil ∙ February 11, 2015

A third-party media controller can be very useful. I like having a special widget for Spotify right in my Mac’s Notification Center. What would really be nice is an app that allows you to control multiple players from one widget.

Simplify for Mac is a media player that lets you control the playback of iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, and Vox right in your menu bar. We’ve got a detailed app review of Simplify for Mac today.

MacID review: unlock your Mac using Touch ID

Lory Gil ∙ January 30, 2015

Thanks to Bluetooth LE connectivity, users are able to connect their smartphones to their computers to share content between devices quickly, easily, and without being too taxing for battery life. On iOS and OS X, you can even do stuff like lock or unlock your Mac. Mac ID for iOS is one such app. Not only can you set it up to unlock your computer, but you can also lock it and wake the screen remotely. We’ve got a hands-on review of MacID for iOS for you today.

Red Arrow puts a location tracking widget on your Lock screen

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

I love taking long walks. I know, it sounds like the beginning of a dating service advertisement, but I really do. I love exploring my city to discover new buildings that I hadn’t noticed before. I get lost on my way to my destination, on purpose.

Red Arrow is the perfect location-tracking app for people that enjoy taking the scenic route to their destination. It will always point you in the right direction, no matter how far off you’ve strayed.

Liberate OS X’s Spotlight search with Flashlight

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

For years now, Alfred has been a staple of OS X workflow applications, enhancing search on the Mac and adding many features in the process. Spotlight search remained rather antiquated in comparison until Apple revived it with OS X Yosemite, but there's still much to be desired. While Alfred will continue to hold its well-deserved position as a staple Mac app, Flashlight has the potential to reach far beyond the abilities of Alfred to make OS X's native Spotlight search an incredibly powerful and useful tool.

Imagine using ⌘+SPACE as a text-based Siri, in which typing the phrase "remind me to Write Flashlight review at 2pm" or "text Mike I'm on Steam, wanna play?" will do exactly as expected. However, Flashlight not only allows reminders to be made and messages to be sent directly from Spotlight – its potential reaches much further.

This app tells you what apps are battery hogs

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Some days, my iPhone 5 works all day with very little battery drain. Other days, it seems like I’ve run out of juice after minimal usage. I’ve always wondered which activities are the biggest culprits in my battery drainage.

Normal: Battery Analytics is a diagnostics app that uses general information about your device and compares it with that of thousands of other iPhone users to help you determine which apps should be killed and which should be deleted altogether in order to spare your battery life.