Mac apps - page 2

February 19, 1990: Adobe ships the first commercial version of its soon-to-be-iconic Photoshop photo editing software. The Photoshop launch, exclusively on the Macintosh, gives users new powerful tools for tweaking digital photographs.

The groundbreaking software debuts for Mac System 6.0.3. Priced at $895, Photoshop will quickly become the standard editing tool for graphics professionals. Whether they work for advertising agencies, news organizations — or, frankly, anywhere else — Photoshop users take advantage of the program’s digital darkroom tools to seamlessly manipulate images.

Photography will never be the same.

In this week’s Awesome Apps roundup, you’ll find apps for managing files, using AI to boost your writing, and turning an iPad into a creative input device for a Mac.

And if all that productivity wears you out, we’ve got other options. You can relax with a charmingly peaceful Apple Arcade game with a delightful Japanese theme. Or you can blast enemy spaceships in an arcade-style game that’s great on iPhone — but even better on Vision Pro.

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to download.

Still got a stack of DVDs gathering dust in the garage? Far too many of us throw them away or dump them at the thrift store, assuming it’ll be too much of a timesuck to convert them to digital format. If you’re using default Mac software, you’re probably right — but not if you’re using a great Mac DVD ripper.

With a license to MacX DVD Ripper Pro, you can put that old video on your digital screen for good with surprising speed. Plus, you can even improve upon the original — all for less than $32 through February 18.

Have you ever been annoyed when someone sends you a PDF instead of a file you can edit? PDFs continue to be one of the most popular file types in the world, so why is it such a pain when you actually need to use one?

The answer is that you probably don’t have the right software to edit and convert PDFs to your liking. An all-in-one PDF editor like PDF Converter Pro can help, and it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Lifetime licenses for the Mac app are on sale for $24.97 (regularly $99) for a limited time.

Sharing files using services like Dropbox and Google Drive isn’t as easy — or as aesthetically pleasing — as it could be. That’s precisely why Smmall Cloud was started. Once you get the Smmall Cloud Mac app, anytime you need to send a large file to a client, co-worker, student or friend, all you need to do is drag and drop. Yup, it’s that easy!

Right now, you can get a lifetime individual Smmall Cloud plan for just $79.99 (regularly $288). That gets you 50GB of storage, and a fast and easy way to share any files (up to 5GB each) that you stash there.

PDFs can be some of the trickiest files to work with — and the same goes for Adobe Acrobat software. Having a reliable and easy-to-use PDF converter app is the key to streamlining your workflow and saving valuable time trying to work with difficult documents.

PDF Converter Pro is one of the most highly rated PDF apps on the entire web. It works on both Mac and PC. And though it usually costs $99, right now you can grab a lifetime license to the software for just $24.97 — a savings of more than $65.

You can’t be too safe online, and a trustworthy VPN can help make sure your private information isn’t exploitable.

Rather than go through each day as a vulnerable internet user, lock down online protection with lifetime access to BulletVPN. Normally sold for $162, this plan (which works for up to six devices) is available for only $32.97 through January 28.

When it comes to antivirus protection, everybody thinks they can get away with cheap or even free plans that rely on outdated software — until that latest virus or malware takes out their device.

The more you rely on your Mac for work, the more you need a reliable and up-to-date solution. ESET NOD32’s one-year antivirus package has been the go-to defense for working professionals for more than 30 years. And now, new users can now get a year’s worth of the latest version for $24.99 (regularly $39).

Turning screen recordings into compelling videos proves tricky, even for the most skilled video editor. But FocuSee screen recording software for Mac (and Windows) can capture what you see and do on-screen and automatically turn the video into something that looks like it took hours to produce.

It’s perfect for producing eye-catching product demos, easy-to-follow tutorials and more. And right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to the FocuSee screen recording software for just $39.99 (regularly $79).

We’ve been on the Setapp train for years. And the subscription service, which offers hundreds of great Mac apps for one low price, just keeps getting better. Especially with this Setapp sale.

The more than 240 Mac apps in Setapp run the gamut, and you can find the one(s) you need with a simple search. With this special New Year’s promo from Cult of Mac Deals, you can gain access to them all for nearly $50 off the usual price with promo code WINTER15.

In a world with about 10,000 weather apps — that’s an actual estimate, not a huge exaggeration — how do you choose the best free weather app for iPhone or iPad that you can trust and that includes the features you want most? It’s not easy. But a mix of full-featured free weather apps (most with premium versions) and specialty apps can cover all the bases for you.

We’ll go over some of the best weather apps below, whether you just want to avoid getting wet or if you’re a total weather freak who can’t get enough data, visual or otherwise.

Blip is a delightful utilty that lets you transfer files across the internet — directly from your Mac to theirs. There’s no middleman uploading to and downloading from a cloud, no pesky web app to sign into. It’s like beaming your files onto someone else’s computer.

It’s the easiest and most straightforward way to send someone large folders of files or complex projects from your Mac. And best of all, it’s totally free and secure.

December 2, 1991: Apple ships its first public version of QuickTime, bringing video to Mac users running System 7.

Containing codecs for graphics, animation and video, QuickTime confirms Apple’s status as a leading multimedia tech company. The software also starts us all off on the path to playing video on our computers. This fundamental transformation of Macs into media machines eventually leads to iTunes Movies, YouTube and more.

The world of podcasts is wide and deep, so finding great ones in the wilds of the internet can be daunting. But with the AI-powered Podurama app, you can find and organize podcasts to your heart’s content — and sync them for listening on various devices.

Collecting old video game consoles and vintage computers is a fun hobby, but keeping all that hardware working can quickly become an expensive, never-ending task — not to mention all the space you need just to store the gear. You might instead (wisely) opt to emulate your favorite games and software on the Mac you already own.

In this guide to emulation on the Mac, I’ll walk you through the best apps you can use to accomplish the two most common scenarios: playing old video games, and taking Classic Mac OS for a test drive on a modern Mac. Plus, I’ll wrap up with the easiest way to virtualize modern operating systems like Windows and Linux on your Mac. (This handy virtualization software also works for old and obscure computer operating systems.)

Best of all, each of these Mac emulation methods is free and open source.

Owning a copy of Microsoft Office is simply essential in today’s remote and hybrid working world. Set yourself up to work from home or anywhere with a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac, on sale now for just $49.99 (list price $249.99).

For PC fans, the Windows version of MS Office is available — but the deal’s not quite as sweet.

Working with PDFs on your Mac can really suck. Even just adding your signature to a PDF document can be an ordeal. Luckily, there’s a great Mac app that can simplify the experience of PDF signing, editing, merging, annotating and much more.

And now it’s on sale for a very limited time. Now through November 9, you can grab the popular and award-winning PDF Expert app for only $69.99 (regularly $139).

The upcoming Final Cut Pro version 10.7 brings in improvements to timeline navigation and organization, as well as new changes that Apple says will simplify complex edits.

And Final Cut Pro for iPad 1.3 includes new features intended to enhance using the professional-grade video-editing application on a touchscreen.

More than 1 billion people have used Microsoft Office, the productivity suite that many Americans grew up utilizing in classrooms and continue to count on as professionals. Now a big discount on a lifetime license to MS Office for Mac makes the software extremely affordable.

During our Fall Deal Days event, we’re dropping the cost of a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 to just $29.97 (regularly $219). There’s no coupon necessary, but this amazing deal on the world’s most popular software suite ends October 15.

This week’s Awesome Apps include a great way to keep your Mac in tip-top shape, a desktop-style web browser for mobile, and an app for correcting your posture using your AirPods.

I’ve spent most of my working life slumped in an office chair. Don’t get me wrong: I move around quite a lot. I start upright, and by the end of the day, I’m almost horizontal.

We all know this is very bad, but luckily help is at hand … from my AirPods!

How can you best save your MacBook battery life for many years of use? Your laptop’s battery is the most likely component to wear out, and one of the biggest problems is keeping it plugged in all the time. Apple offers some built-in controls, but they’re pretty basic and inflexible. Energiza Pro, on the other hand, gives you far more options, extending your MacBook’s battery life for years to come.

It’s the smart battery manager you need to keep your MacBook alive for longer.

One piece of software I consider indispensable for keeping my Mac running clean, quick and clear is CleanMyMac X by MacPaw.

CleanMyMac X packs more than 30 tools for keeping your Mac in tip-top condition, but is especially useful for clearing disc space, freeing up RAM, and deleting malware and adware. The latest version has a new, unlimited seven-day free trial, and Cult of Mac readers can get an exclusive 10% discount.

When you’re video conferencing, well-shot presentations can be a powerful way to sway new clients and impress employers. And despite what you might think, you don’t need a studio full of expensive gear to knock people’s socks off. FineCam Pro is virtual camera software for recording video and video conferencing.

Cult of Mac readers can score lifetime access to FineCam Pro, which works on Mac, iOS, Windows and Android, for only $49.99 (regularly $84) for a limited time.

New users can get lifetime access to Microsoft Office for less than ever, thanks to our Labor Day sale on two lifetime licenses for Mac or PC.