October 15, 2023

Converting audio and video with Permute

The number of converter apps out there is almost overwhelming, perhaps even maddening if you just want to get the job done. Permute is the other part of the Downie combination that converts files between formats and extracts audio. Permute reads and writes to multiple formats, but by default there are presets for MP4, MP3, AAC and settings for specific mobile devices. If you need more, go into Preferences and define a new Preset. My uses include extracting audio from a video file, converting .mov to .mp4, and the occasional conversion to MP3. For my needs it’s a three step process, drag the video files onto Permute, select MP3 as the format, click Convert. After a time, I have the full audio track as a separate file. Permute can also trim, crop if you’re trying to make something specific. I’ve never had need to go this route, but I have used the Stitch Together feature, which is available through the […]

October 12, 2023

The sad demise of Download Shuttle

Since we’re talking about download tools for personal use, Download Shuttle is another casualty of the continued lack of updates from Fiplab, which is a shame, because it was pretty sweet app. It was a lightweight and easy to use app to download audio and video to your local machine. It was basically a browser that scanned links on a page looking for content files. It was great for YouTube, but like Downie, you could use it against any site and have a lot of success. There is no “extraction” feature, it was a downloader, but it worked well against all sorts of sites. It was fast, powerful, and easy to use. I bought it as a companion app to Downie, or maybe it was the other way around. But, with the lack of updates, Download Shuttle isn’t what it used to be. And that’s an unfortunate story for Fiplab, because they have some great tools like Download Shuttle, Mini […]

October 11, 2023

Moving past the MacBook

Even though the Mac lineup is pretty impressive, and the M2 is a pretty bad ass piece of silicon, everything seems to revolve around the MacBook. Simply put, there are too many MacBook models. It’s not just MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, it’s all the screen sizes and features that quickly blur and overlap. There’s a new MacBook product announcement every time I turn around, which doesn’t feel necessary or productive. Apple is going to create that same sinking feeling people have when they drive a car off the lot, it just depreciated. Buy a new MacBook and it won’t even be 9 months before new tech comes knocking and makes you question your decision. That always happens as the latest and greatest is merely a point in time, but it seems MacBooks change with the seasons. It feels like this dependence on the MacBook is degrading the rest of the offerings. The iMac was a great entry-level machine, but […]

October 10, 2023

Working with videos using Fast Video Browser

Another tool in the DummyApps lineup is Fast Video Browser, which as the name implies, is a fast view browser. This is a tool I use on a regular basis to help me find videos, remember what a video is about so I give it a better name, help search for duplicates, and delete videos I no longer need. Fast Video Browser has a couple of features that make it more efficient and capable than more expensive video catalog tools. Fast Video Browser is an easy, but powerful way of going through a series of videos. Do you have multiple resolutions? Is the video out of date? Can you delete it to save space? Is the entire video playable? Fast Video Browser is great for reviewing files on an external drive, or in archive folders. It’s great for comparing files, such as which is the trimmed video file and which is the completed one? I use this all the time […]

October 8, 2023

Viewing images with iSee Image Browser

Another tool from DummyApps, this time for images, is iSee Image Browser, which I use for quickly finding, sorting, and deleting images. But, with so many image viewers what makes this one different? I prefer iSee because of the cost, browsing layout, it doesn’t make a catalog, and the image sorting. There are lots of other features, like zoom, rotate, side by side layout, top vs bottom layout, search, and adding files from multiple locations into a single view, and slideshow. I’ve used iSee to review, move, and delete thousands of images. I can pick my images, drag them to Retrobatch, move them to another folder, remove them from the “catalog” or delete them off the drive. iSee is also smart enough to read selected files, a folder, or folder and subfolder. And no need to worry about other file formats, if it’s not an image type, iSee skips it, no errors or throwing up. Another very handy feature of […]

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