Unsanity LLC's FruitMenu allows Mac users to customize their Apple menus. This "haxie" (a hacker-developed extra functionality for Mac OS X) lets you assign hotkeys to menu items and files; run shell scripts; create faster Recent Applications and Documents submenus; and add drives to the Apple menu. The new release includes a fix for FruitMenu's failure to appear in System Preferences, and other tweaks from previous versions. The program costs $7. Download FruitMenu, which requires Mac OS X or later, at Unsanity's Web site.
Felt Tip Software's Sound Studio 2 is a sound recording application built for Mac OS X, but it works with 8.1 and up. Sound Studio lets users digitize their tapes and LPs, record live performances and radio programs, edit out the dead air and glitches from poor recordings, apply sound effects, and create and edit new sounds and loops. This upgrade fixed a few bugs, added some new filters, and has all new sound-recording and playback engines, among other new features. Owners of earlier versions of Sound Studio can get the upgrade for $24.99, but new users will have to shell out $49.99. (If you purchased a 1.5.5 upgrade after last Nov. 14, you can get it for $17.50.) Either way, a free 14-day trial period is available.
LimeWire LLC has released an update to LimeWire, a freeware app that lets users search for and share files. In addition to the new version (2.1), a LimeWire Pro version is also available for $8.50; this version is banner-free, ad-free, and bundled software-free. Both versions are compatible with Gnutella and allow chat and file sharing with anyone using Gnutella-compatible software. A multiple-search interface allows searches by artist, title, genre, and other categories; the software allows "swarm" downloads from multiple hosts; the file library includes a built-in MP3 player; and the bandwidth requirements for most users have been reduced from earlier versions.
Ing.conti has a free software package that will convert your images to .jpg format and change file extensions for you. ConvertImages also enables rotating images, changing the creation date and time, adding text to images, and many other editing functions. The software requires Mac OS 9 or X.
Navdeep Bains's Mail Beacon alerts you when you have new e-mail. The software requires Mac OS 7.6 or higher, and has a variety of tones to choose from to get your attention when new e-mail comes in. The software will also allow you to view the message without logging on to your account, and will also let you delete the message and perform other e-mail functions like setting up filters for spam. You can try it for free, but it costs $10 to get rid of the registration reminder window.
