2025-11-24 21:09:32
Downie
If you want to download video from YouTube, there are a variety of ways. There is a Raycast Extension. There is the great free YouTube muti-action app, Freetube. Finally there is Downie from Charlie Monroe. Downie not only downloads from YouTube, Youku, Bilibili and Vimeo it can download from more than 1,000 sites with more being added bi-weekly. You can even write to the developer and request that a site be added and chances are he will act on it. He even offers to help if you run into a problematic video on a site already in the supported list.
Downie can download 4K video, which not all downloaders can do. It can also convert to MP-4 (for iPad and iPhone use) or do only audio extraction on the fly. It supports iCloud synchronization to maintain your download history over different devices. The app has muli-language support and the developer offers free licenses to anyone who adds a new language to the support library. If you have a legacy operating system, past versions of Downie can be downloaded.
Downie is normally a one-time purchase of $19.99 but it is now on sale for $8 and a single license is good for all the computers you personally own, although if that is greater than three you need to contact the dev for an accommodation.
Downie is also available on Setapp.
There was a minor controversy some time back when the developer left empty threats in his code to delete files from the computers of those running pirated versions of the software. He has since apologized for doing that and no files were actually deleted from anyone's machine.
Permute
Permute by Charlie Monroe (developer of Downie) makes media conversion simple regardless of whether you need to manipulate images, video or audio. Its simple drag and drop interface instantly identifies the media you are working with and uses presets to convert the file to the format you want.
Permute does not require you to download any plugins for video conversion. It can convert FLV or MP4 files natively into dozens of other formats and vice versa. The current version of Permute is 3x faster than previous versions. If you have multiple videos to convert, the app has a scheduler so that you can do the conversions during off hours instead of pegging out your CPU while you are trying to do other work. Another valuable feature is Permute's ability to merge videos so that if you have a part one and a part two, a simple right-click > Merge is all you need to make a single file.
Audio files can be turned into Apple Lossless or FLAC using the same simple drag and drop interface. If you have a video that you want to save just the audio portion of, Permute can easily do that as well.
Permute can turn PDFs into multiple image files, one per page if you need that functionality. It can also do the opposite, turning a folder full of image files into a single PDF.
There are so many other great features in Permute - adjust volume of an audio file or an audio track in a video. Batch-resize, rotate and flip images and videos, convert images to text. And more. When used in conjunction with Downie, you can auto format the downloaded videos for the device where you intend to watch them.
Permute is on sale for $5. There is no current difference in the two versions. It is also available from Setapp.
2025-11-24 18:52:10
"Baba O'Riley" by The Who
What's your favorite song about growing up? As a farm kid and a rebel without a clue, I felt like Roger Daltrey was talking to me when he sang: Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals/ I get my back into my living/ I don't need to fight to prove I'm right/ I don't need to be forgiven,/ Don’t cry, don’r raise your eye/ It’s only teenage wasteland.
2025-11-23 21:28:29
Even before I started writing app reviews, my Applications folder was always bulging because I have a hard time resisting any software that looks interesting or useful. We actually have a Software category in our family's monthly budget. While there is a lot of Mac software, there isn't an infinite supply, and making a wish list for Black Friday sales means there are a lot of apps being discounted that I won't buy because I already own them! So just keep in mind that this list is the most interesting selection from what I don't already have.
2025-11-22 18:28:42
Scooping up apps at a discount during Black Friday season is an annual tradition for me. It takes a little planning and research, but I've picked up a number of useful titles over the years. If you are looking at what's available for 2025, here is a list of my reviews for apps currently being offered.
Thoughts - Quotes Manager 50% OFF Lifetime with code BLACK25 By Henri Bredt to manage quotes, authors and tags. It creates a personalized feed from your collection that you can view from a widget.
ExtraDock 50% off with code BLACKXXFRIDAY50 Nov 26th - Dec 1st ExtraDock lets you create a variety of dock-like launchers for different workflows and activate one or more of them when needed. You can assign docks to specific spaces and monitors.
Almighty - Tweaking and Utility Collection 50% OFF on App Store. For standalone versions, use code INDIEGOODIESBF25 for 50% discount There are 50 different settings and utilities in the app, and you can enable and disable at will. They can be launched from the menu bar or user configurable keyboard shortcuts.
Koofr - European Based Cloud Storage Provider with a Generous Free Tier Use code BF2025 for 55% OFF on yearly plans 100 GB or larger. Koofr is a secure, reliable, and user-friendly European cloud storage service. Backup, sync and share files while maintaining complete privacy - Koofr doesn't use trackers, cookies nor ads.
TextSniper 75% OFF with code BFCM2025 An OCR app for YouTube videos, PDFs, images, online courses, screencasts, presentations, webpages, video tutorials, photos, etc.
Lingon Pro 20% Off - Run whatever you want, whenever you want with Lingon Pro and evaluate what's loading in the background on your Mac.
Wins Has Window Management and More 40% OFF with code BLACKFRIDAY25 I'm impressed with the way it can be customized and how well it works with keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures.
The best list I've found this year for available discounts is mRs-/Black-Friday-Deals: Black Friday Deals for macOS / iOS Software & Books
2025-11-21 21:25:49
"Fields of Gold" by Eva Cassidy
What's a song that feels like magic every time you hear it? I still remember hearing Eva Cassidy for the first time. It was several years after she died and NPR did a story on the tragic tale of this Maryland landscaper and lounge singer, taken by cancer , whose albums sold millions after her death. Her voice? Magical then and now.
2025-11-21 20:30:42
A few years back, I had an iPhone that just stopped backing up to iCloud. I went through every troubleshooter I could find, and nothing worked. At the time, I had a MacBook with a small hard drive (256 GB), and using Finder to back it up resulted in a file of over 90 GB, taking up a significant chunk of space. Not only that, it took about 30 minutes to complete. I had to hack together a way, using symlinks, to move the backup to an external drive. It was a huge PIA.
That's when I started using DearMob iPhone Manager. Its backup capabilities beat Apple's by a mile. You can choose your backup location. You still get encryption, and you can use Wi-Fi (which is slow but acceptable). It works all the way back to Mac OS X 10.9 but doesn't require Rosetta on Apple silicon.
I also recently used it to recover 80 GB of music from my dad's old iPod Classic with just a few clicks.
The main drawback with an app like DearMob is that you are always at Apple's mercy, and future changes to iOS and macOS may affect functionality.
A lifetime license normally goes for $39.95, which lets you install it on one Mac and use it with unlimited phones. It's currently on sale for just $3 at Bundlehunt. At that price, it's hard to resist. Its main competitor is iMazing, which is subscription only ($49.95 a year) and limits the number of devices you can use.
