Okay, this is the final hour (or two days, but final hour sounds more imminent); this bundle is only available for two days, so we’re going to do a down-and-dirty quick review of the remaining six:
7. Mac DVDRipper Pro 3
The name is self-explanatory. This app rips just about any DVD you can dish out and burns it. The interface is clean, and the process is fast and easy. ‘Nuff said. If you’re unhappy with free ripping programs, this might be the time to take advantage of this special to grab one that’s more powerful and versatile.
8. Back In Focus
This program offers several levels and types of masking to fine-tune blurry images, and is certainly more sophisticated than we had expected. The learning curve is moderate, and after getting past the initial frustration and two attempts, we found that the curve was worth it. It is a deceptively powerful tool that simplifies a sophisticated and time-consuming process so more users can take advantage of the features it provides. It won’t perform miracles, but if you have a great photo that’s just slightly out of focus, this will do the trick.
9. Neverwinter Nights 2
As an RPG, the game and storyline have enough flexibility to be engaging and entertaining. Epic? No. Fun? Yes. We didn’t go deeply into the game, but for an hour, we weren’t bored. Worth it as part of a bundle.
10. Hear
This app is designed to boost your computer’s sound output quality. To be honest, we didn’t test this one yet, but may in the near future. We have to rely on user feedback here, which has a wide range. Once you launch and set Hear, it affects all audio your computer produces until you uninstall the app. So, no on-off switch from what we can tell. Since it’s part of a bundle, it’s a no-risk venture, and that’s a good thing.
11. iClip
The more we use this app, the more we warm up to it. Although not quite as intuitive as we had first expected (we thought it would grab everything we copied automatically), it is extremely useful as a gathering place for snipets, bits, and urls–pretty much anything you find that you want to save, but never really know where to put. It has a docklike interface with tools right on board. The app icon rests in the menu bar, and if you don’t like it there, preferences offers decent configuration that includes setting up hotkeys. iClip is one of several apps that Irradiated Software offers; they’re also worth a looksee.
12. FoldersSynchronizer
If you’d like more control over what, when, and how you back up and synch your data, you might want to check this out.
FoldersSynchronizer can synchronize files, and configure backups. The simple interface reveals, on further inspection, a tremendous amount of versatility, including AppleScript functionality if you want to write your own scripts for the program. But, you don’t have to get that involved. Just drag and drop the folders you want to synch or backup, create a session, even set timers and filters, exclusions and filters, and you can customize functions as little or as much as you want.
Take a look at the screencast, and if you download, keep in mind that they have a specific 10.7 download, and another for 10.5-10.6.
And that’s it for our reviews. All in all, it’s a win-win even if you use two apps in the bundle.
Two more days left in the bundle special, so giddyup if yer gonna.
(Please note that this is a completely independent review. We receive no kickbacks, cookies, or kudos; our only incentive is getting the word out about a good find.)
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