Written by
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributor
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Contributor
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over two decades to helping users get the most from technology — whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera. Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs.
Full Bio
Posted in Hardware 2.0
on January 10, 2022
| Topic: Apple
CleanMyMac X
Scans your mac and remove junk and malware
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$29 at MacPaw
Authy
2FA app that works on almost every device and platform
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View now at Authy
Parallels Toolbox
All-in-one solution with 30+ tools for MacOS (and Windows 10)
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$19 at Parallels
SnagIt 2021
The ultimate screen-capture tool
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$49 at TechSmith
iStat Menus
Geek out on everything going on with your Mac
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$11 at Bjango
Show More (5 items)
Backblaze
Cloud backup made easy
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$6 at Backblaze
Parallels Access
Fast, simple, and reliable remote access tool
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$20 at Parallels
Freedome VPN
Secure your internet connection
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$34 at F-Secure
The Unarchiver
File compression and decompression made easy
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View now at The Unarchiver
Amphetamine
The small app that does an important job
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View now at Mac App Store
If, like me, your main work machine is a Mac, you need it to be ready for anything life and work can throw at it. This means that having the right performance, security, and productivity apps.
CleanMyMac X
Scans your mac and remove junk and malware
CleanMyMac X is the best way to rid your Mac of the digital detritus that it accumulates, allowing you to free up storage space and even speed things up. It scans your Mac to remove malware, large hidden files, old archives, and unused apps. I’m always amazed by its capacity to seek out digital junk that’s otherwise buried deep within the bowels of the operating system.
$29 at MacPaw
Authy
2FA app that works on almost every device and platform
I used to be a Google Authenticator user, but its 2FA (2-Factor Authentication) app is old and has a number of limitations, so I made the move to Authy. Authy is great because it works on almost every device and platform and allows me to keep a backup of my codes, which comes in real handy when swapping devices.
Best of all, it’s free!
View now at Authy
Parallels Toolbox
All-in-one solution with 30+ tools for MacOS (and Windows 10)
Parallels Toolbox is a suite of easy-to-use tools that streamlines all routine computing chores that you do many times a day and turns them into actions you can carry out with a click or two, massively boosting productivity. This suite allows you to do a variety of tasks, from creating animated GIFs to batch resizing images.
$19 at Parallels
SnagIt 2021
The ultimate screen-capture tool
My job involves taking countless screen captures every week, and of all the tools and utilities I’ve tried — even the tools built into macOS — nothing comes close to the power and flexibility of SnagIt. I’ve used it to take literally thousands of screen captures across a whole range of systems.
Not only does this tool allow me to capture all sorts of screenshots — from simple captures to complex stuff like scrolling windows and such — it also features powerful editing tools to help me get those screen captures ready for posting on the web or putting into publications.
$49 at TechSmith
iStat Menus
Geek out on everything going on with your Mac
I love this app because it allows me to geek-out on a massive amount of system information! iStat Menus is an advanced Mac system monitor, covering an enormous range of stats, from system temperatures to CPU performance. It puts an awful lot of important and useful information right at your fingertips.
$11 at Bjango
Backblaze
Cloud backup made easy
While Time Machine is good for carrying out local backups, it’s also a good idea to have an up-to-date offsite backup, and I’ve found that Backblaze offers the best combination of value, storage space, and performance.
$6 at Backblaze
Parallels Access
Fast, simple, and reliable remote access tool
After trying many different solutions, Parallels Access is my favorite method for accessing my systems remotely. With Parallels Access I can connect to my Mac (or PC) from pretty much any device, and work with the applications and files on that system as though I’m sitting at it. This has been an absolute lifesaver for those times when I’ve left an important file on my computer at home or the office.
$20 at Parallels
Freedome VPN
Secure your internet connection
Browsing the web without a VPN leaves a digital footprint that others can use to track you down. A VPN can allow you to step over the geographical fences that some want to put around content. On top of that, a good VPN can keep you safe when accessing the web using wired and wireless networks that are not under your control. Having tested many VPN offerings, I settled on Freedome, because it offered good security and high levels of reliability at a reasonable price.
$34 at F-Secure
The Unarchiver
File compression and decompression made easy
While the tool built into MacOS can do a reasonable job with some compressed file archives, the Unarchiver has you covered no matter what crazy file format. It will open common formats such as Zip, RAR, 7-zip, Tar, Gzip, and Bzip2, and it will open more obscure formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ, and ARC. It can extract files from ISO and BIN images, too. It can also extract files from some Windows .EXE files.
It’s an excellent tool that I use regularly!
View now at The Unarchiver
Amphetamine
The small app that does an important job
Amphetamine is a little app that lives in your menu bar and allows you to quickly and easily override your energy saver settings and keep your Mac awake. If you need a simple on/off switch for the power settings, this is your app. Need more control over power-saving features? This is also your app!
View now at Mac App Store
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