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Friday Favorite Triple Pack: Alarm Clock 2, Apptrap, and TimeMachineEditor

by David Winograd Jul 3rd 2009 at 12:30PM

When I consider what should really be system software, I always think of three little beauties that belong on every Mac: Alarm Clock 2, AppTrap and TimeMachineEditor. They are all one-trick-ponies, take up little space, are free for the downloading, and Apple should buy them up for Snow Leopard.


Alarm Clock 2, currently up to version 2.4.5, sits nicely on your menubar ready to awaken you with your favorite song, or remind you that your dinner is ready to come out of the oven. You can set an alarm to use any song from your iTunes library, or if no song is chosen, it will just beep at you.

It has an Easy Wake option that slowly brings up the volume of your chosen song over an adjustable period of up to two minutes. As any good alarm clock, it comes with a snooze feature, which is also adjustable. I use it mostly as a kitchen timer that keeps me out of the kitchen. Multiple alarms can be set of course, and if you happen to have an Apple remote lying around, pushing the pause button will tell an alarm to 'snooze'. Since downloading it, I can't think of a day that that I haven't used it at least once



Apptrap is a preference pane that allows you to delete applications more completely than dragging to the trash and emptying. Trashing the normal way usually leaves support files in your library folder that will never go away and do nothing more useful than take up space.

With Apptrap installed, whenever you drag an application to the trash and try and empty the trash, you are presented with a window showing you the file and all support files that go along with the application, allowing you to trash them all together in one stroke. There are no settings, options or anything else to worry about. Just install it and forget it. The next time you delete an application, it will be there for you.

Note that AppTrap is open source but is no longer being actively maintained; the developer is looking for someone to pick up the project. If you want a commercially supported uninstall tool, you can check out the $12.95US AppZapper or the highly-recommended and multicapable file organizer Hazel for $21.95. Mat also wrote up a helpful Mac 101 on uninstaller tools last year.


TimeMachineEditor stops Time Machine from backing up every hour. On my network, with four Macs backing up to Time Machine, hourly, the network slows down to a crawl. This is especially annoying since my information isn't critical enough to be backed that frequently. TimeMachineEditor allows you to set exactly when Time Machine will run.

You can set backups for hourly intervals, like every 12 hours, or set up calendar backups which allow you to backup daily, weekly or monthly at any time you set. The hourly calendar interval is new to version 2.1. I have my Macs backup once a day during the wee hours with each Mac staggered by an hour or so to keep the network hit to a minimum.

Download all three and see how these brilliant little afterthoughts improve your Mac life.

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When I consider what should really be system software, I always think of three little beauties that belong on every Mac: Alarm Clock 2,...
 

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erichd

I have to seriously recommend that people consider the Koingo apps for the first two... Alarm Clock Pro and Amnesia.

Both of these really do outclass the apps listed in the article. (in my opinion.)

If you don't need more than a simple alarm, don't bother, and if you don't mind loads of orphan files, keep on with the old school.

Well, in my mileage. How do these stack up for you?

July 05 2009 at 5:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to erichd's comment
David Winograd

I've never used them since I'll always go for free over having to pay for something that does basically the same thing.

July 05 2009 at 1:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
erichd

So, by your logic, you use a Unix set-up on borrowed/donated hardware because it's free and "basically" a computer experience relatively free of virii and malware.

As I said, if you don't want much more than what the OS comes with, and you don't mind dozens of orphaned files (if you try out software and discard it often), then the free embellishments are probably enough.

If you need more - like SMS messages as alarms, and elimination of quite a few more orphans, check out the software that costs something. Most of its shareware, and can be deleted if it doesn't suit you.

July 05 2009 at 11:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
elliot

I got excited when I saw Time Machine Editor, then I realized it was only about editing the time of backup, which is useful, but I'm in a one mac worth backing up to Time Capsule situation (along with keeping extra files on it).

What I'm interested in is a Time Machine file scanner that can tell me what's on my Time Machine disk more quickly and responsively than the Time Machine interface. I do a lot of video work on my computer and I know I'm accidentally backing up big video files every now and then. Anyone know of a Time Machine Scanner that shows you what's in the sparsebundle?

July 03 2009 at 4:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
iGO

I use AppDelete to completely delete applications and their left-over junk..

Works like a charm.
Shareware for $5. donations.
Very Worth it

July 03 2009 at 2:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to iGO's comment
David Winograd

Free is always better than $$, and I don't see the point on spending $$ for something you can get for free.

July 04 2009 at 8:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ethan Schoonover

Don't forget about Hazel, which does a *lot* of behind the scenes housekeeping and automation. It has a nice option that will clean up other installed files when deleting an app.

http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel

July 03 2009 at 2:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
bward74

I use iTunes Alarm by John Narun here:

http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/iTunes-Alarm.shtml

The good thing about it is you can get it to play iTunes Playlists rather than just one song. So if I want to wake up to my Chill Out playlist I can, and keep it playing to listen to more songs.

I also use AppCleaner, which doesn't run in the background, but it has plenty of options and works very well.

July 03 2009 at 2:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
matt

(Shameless plug)

iTunes Timer Dashboard widget is similar to Alarm Clock 2:

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/music/itunestimer.html

Donations welcome!

July 03 2009 at 1:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
alansky

Personally, I would not use or recommend Time Machine without TimeMachineEditor as hourly backups are total overkill for the vast majority of Mac users.

July 03 2009 at 1:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Flunky Carter

I prefer apptrap over appzapper for one reason: you don't have to launch apptrap to use it, it just runs in the background and alerts you to delete files when you delete an app.

Also, in your article you say you use install it and forget it. I guess that is true, but from my recolection, i could be wrong, there are two options in the preference pane window (under system preferences) that's stop apptrap and a checkbox "Start Automatically on login"

Also, the main reason I use apptrap for is not so much as deleting the support files and prefs for space issues... I use it more for deleting the preference files so I can relaunch the application I just deleted and it will have all of it's settings restored to their default settings. A nifty thing to do is to delete and app, which alerts you to delete the pref files, you say yes, then you do a quick CMD+Z to undo the deletion of the app... you relaunch and now you have the applications settings restored. Really useful for when app prefs go corrupt.

July 03 2009 at 1:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Flunky Carter's comment
David Winograd

Apptrap is easier to use thatn App Cleaner sine you never have to run a program. Apptrap sits in the back ground and any time you toss something in the trash, you get a window asking about deleting the ancillary files.

It's easier not having to remember to run a progam and the notifications are just persented when you toss something in the trash.

Unfortunately as Mike Rose pointed out; Apptrap is no longer being supported, but since it's open source, some one can pick it up.
I hope someone does since it's such a good solution.

July 04 2009 at 8:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Evan

I use AppCleaner and it does work automatically. The latest version has an option in preferences called "SmartDelete." It's off by default, but just flip the switch and you're good to go. Not sure about the others, but it also deletes Dashboard widgets.

July 04 2009 at 10:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
schroef

I've been using Alarm Clock for more than a year now, great app to wake me up with my favorite music, instead of some lame dj talking some jiberish.

July 03 2009 at 1:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
louiscomtois

this is so cool; thanks for pointing out these apps. These are all going to be very handy.

July 03 2009 at 1:06 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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