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Home - Software

All of these applications are free, with the hope that they are useful and/or entertaining to you.

Please note that these applications are for use on Macintosh only.

Tools

  • San Francisco Public Library Sign-In Bookmarklet Generator
    • Enter your library card number and PIN
    • Drag bookmarklet to your toolbar
    • Click bookmarklet on SFPL login pages to enter your info automatically
    • Web Only

  • UBC Botany Photo of the Day Widget
    • Displays a thumbnail of UBC's Botany Photo of the Day with an excerpt of the commentary.
    • Links to the full page in your default web browser.
    • Tiger only; will not work with OSX before 10.4.
    • Quoth Apple: Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is required. If you’re using Safari, click the download link. When the widget download is complete, show Dashboard, click the Plus sign to display the Widget Bar and click the widget’s icon in the Widget Bar to open it. If you’re using a browser other than Safari, click the download link. When the widget download is complete, unarchive it and place it in /Library/Widgets/ in your home folder. show Dashboard, click the Plus sign to display the Widget Bar and click the widget’s icon in the Widget Bar to open it.
    • Download: OSX 10.4 Only Zip Archive (168K)
    • Download: OSX 10.5 Zip Archive (168K)

  • The Tube
    • Ride the London Underground!
    • Never give your Mac a moment's rest--install a screen saver that uses tons of RAM and CPU instead of letting it sit idle!
    • Tiger compatible; may not work with OSX before 10.3.
    • Download: OSX Only Stuffit (760K)

  • Pearl Savr
    • Downloads and displays images from Flickr (and similar) RSS feeds
    • Optionally show captions
    • Presumes a pretty fast, "always-on" internet connection (e.g., DSL or cable)
    • Named for a cute little girl who goes by the name of Pearl (Load the default feed for proof!)
    • May not be compatible with OSX before 10.3.8
    • Download: OSX Only Stuffit (43K)

  • Vocab Saver
    • Save your screen and your vocabulary
    • Put the otherwise inert file /usr/share/dict/words to good some use and expose yourself to obscure words whose definitions you'll never find!
    • Also view any of nine other custom word lists, or use your own custom list of words.
    • Based on "Lots of Words" application in Appendix B of Cocoa Programming by Anguish, Buck, & Yacktman.
    • Version 1.0.6, last version before OpenGL-based Vocab 2 saver!
    • Download: OSX Only Stuffit (220K) - StuffitX (204K)

  • Spiderwebs Screen Saver
    • Mandala's newer, bigger brother. Now version 1.0.2.
    • Spiderwebs allow you to make much more complex shapes and adds several color effects.
    • Increased number of edge points available.
    • Improved calculation methods accelerate the drawing of complex shapes, although high numbers of points may still be best left to faster CPUs.
    • Download: OSX Only (21K)

  • Mandala Screen Saver
    • This screen saver draws mandalas with varying numbers of points around the edges...an older, simpler Mandala.
    • Yes, I know it doesn't look much like a real mandala, but that just sounds better than "String Art."
    • There's a geometric relationship between the number of points you choose and how long it takes to draw. It can get pretty CPU-intensive, so don't go for the maximum straight off.
    • Version 1.0.2 adds min/max preference settings and improved interface.
    • Download: OSX Only (12K)

  • Minutemen Screen Saver
    • Why the Minutemen? I don't know...one of my all-time favorite bands, and the first images I happened to use when I first started trying to build a screen saver for OSX. This one bounces different Minutemen record covers around your monitor. (In the sample shot: Double Nickels, Buzz or Howl, Paranoid Time, and 3-way Tie for Last.)
    • Is it a tool? Hell yes, it "saves" your screen!
    • You can hack it to show other pictures, though I won't tell you how. (Use "Show Package Contents" contextual menu to start.)
    • Download: OSX Only (243K)

Web-only

Toys