nvAlt - I ran this for a while as a menu bar app, but prefer it in the dock these days.Apple Messages - Always running, connected to Google Talk and Facebook Chat, but hidden from view so it does not distract me.LittleSnapper - Taking screen snaps (new).Skype - Talking to family, friends and colleagues.Tweetbot - Gotta see what’s happening, but only when I am not working.Sticky Notifications - To leave a note to myself when I take breaks.Caffeine - Keeps the screen from going to sleep, often used when presenting.Backblaze - Backups to the internet with style and ease, usually hidden as it’s on all the time.IStat Menus - CPUs - Displays how busy each CPU is on my system, gives quick access to running apps (quiet while capturing the image).Īpple Time Machine - Shows when last the time machine backup ran and when it is running, reminds me to keep an eye on it.īut that’s not all, there are a number of applications that I run when needed (or run headless) that also add icons to the menu bar, including: Often, a glance at this explains why things are slow. IStat Menus - Network - I like to see how much bandwidth is being used. Īpple WiFi - I often switch from home to client to coffee shop, WiFi shows me when I am connected. īartender - The magical little utility that moves all the excess menu bar app icons onto its own bar, so I don’t see them all the time. įantastical - Quick access to my calendars and quick creation of new appointments, I seem to open this many times a day, hence it’s on the top bar. IStat Menus - Memory - How much RAM is being used right now, usually hidden, but I move it to the top when running VM’s.Īpple Volume - The OS X Volume Slider, occasionally used to switch volume output with the ⌥ key.īillings - Always running when I am working, Billings tracks my time on client projects, so it makes the top. IStat Menus - CPU Temp - The current CPU temperature, usually hidden unless I’m running a lot of compiles or data analyses, then it gets back on top. Īpple Sync - Seems to keep coming back, currently syncing my Google contacts, I think.
Trickster - Quick access via keystroke to my most recently used and downloaded files and applications. TextExpander - My other must have tool to save me keystrokes on things I type a lot, like paths, file names, special characters and mail messages. Postgres - Runs my development PostgreSQL database server in the background without having to go through the pain of installing it.
#NEW IN NOODLESOFT WINDOWS#
Moom - Moves and resizes windows, set up with keystrokes to place my application windows where I want them spatially. Keyboard Maestro - The indispensable productivity tool for mapping keystrokes to actions, making markdown links, opening and closing applications for different work scenarios and saving me time. Hazel - Automatically cleans up and moves my files around, leaving me to worry about other things. Growl - Still using growl for old application and scripted notifications, redirecting to notification center in Mountain Lion. ĭropbox - All my current notes, settings and key files synced across all devices, nice and safely. ĭayOne - The very best journalling application, containing what I did every day, and auto-loaded with my tweets, posts and instagrams using Slogger. Ĭommitted - New app that notifies whenever any of my Github repositories gets updated. Replaced Quicksilver, alternative to LaunchBar.ĬhronoSync - Automatic synchronization with my desktop when it awakes, and automatic backup to my USB drives when they plug in. Without it, I have no access to anything Īlfred - Quick launch applications and files, starting to use the saved clipboard too. Here’s what each one is and why I use it (in no particular order):ġPassword - One of my must have tools, enables me to reach and log into sites securely using strong site-specific passwords. So many that I had to buy a menu bar manager, Bartender! Add what you use in the comments. These days, in order to maximize my productivity, I seem to be running a lot of menu bar apps on my Macintosh OS X system.