Inexpensive, effort-saving apps to keep your Mac humming
I rely on a handful of small, inexpensive utilities to speed my workflow and keep my Macs running smoothly. Today I’ll introduce you to four of my favorites.
Endurance
Endurance is an app that helps your laptop battery last up to 20 percent longer per charge while improving overall battery health.
With six options to help extend your battery time per charge—Slow Down Processor, Pause Web Browsers, Pause Services, Monitor Apps for Significant Battery Use, Hide Background Apps and Dim Screen—you can create a low-power mode that suits your needs. You can either enable or disable Low Power Mode from Endurance’s menu bar icon or trigger it automatically when your battery drops below a specified level (I set mine at 70 percent).
If you wish your laptop battery lasted longer between charges, try Endurance.
Better Touch Tool
Face it, the Mouse and Trackpad System Preferences panes are fine if you don’t want to coax more performance out of your pointing device. But, if you wish your mouse or trackpad had more and better options, check out Better Touch Tool. It lets you configure buttons (mouse) or gestures (trackpad), but it also does much more.
For example, you can use it to trigger actions from a trackpad, Magic
Mouse, third-party mouse, keyboard, Touch Bar, iPhone, or iPad (with BTT Remote—free for iOS and iPadOS), Siri, or Apple Remote. It also includes a multi-clipboard manager and a powerful screenshot tool that lets you adjust images on the fly.
What’s remarkable is that it does all that for just $8.50.
ToothFairy
ToothFairy is a Bluetooth enhancer. I use my AirPods Pro with my Mac more than any other headphones or earbuds. And although they already pair easily with my Mac, ToothFairy makes it faster and easier by letting me connect or disconnect with a single click or keystroke. That may not sound like much, but if you connect and disconnect as many times a day as I do, you’ll appreciate how much time and effort ToothFairy can save you.
It works with most Bluetooth devices, including Bluetooth headphones, speakers, mice and trackpads. Each device has a unique menu bar icon and keyboard shortcut, making it fast and easy to connect or disconnect any of the Bluetooth devices I use regularly.
As a bonus, ToothFairy allows you to enable macOS’s higher quality AAC codec, which sends higher-quality audio to your earphones or speakers. It’s sweet and only $4.99.
There is one more thing: All three of these useful utilities are included in Setapp, the subscription service that gives you 170-plus apps you may find just as helpful for only $9.99 a month. With its seven-day free trial, you’ve got nothing to lose, so give it a shot.
Resources
Endurance. $20. enduranceapp.com
Better Touch Tool. $8.50. folivora.ai
ToothFairy. $4.99. ccommand.com (also available in Mac App Store)
Setapp. $9.99/month. setapp.com