Today is the last day to buy the much coveted MacHeist application bundle. MacHeist has decided to sweeten the deal by unlocking SoundStudio early and offering $5 off any Insanely Great Tee. If you are a registered member of the MacHeist site you can also get early access to Headline (an RSS reader).

The MacHeist Bundle currently includes the following Mac apps:

• VectorDesigner
• DEVONthink
• XSlimmer
• CoverSutra
• Awaken
• iClip
• Overflow
• Cha-Ching
• WriteRoom
• Enigmo
  
• Bugdom 2
• Nanosaur 2
• TextExpander
• SoundStudio

The MacHeist Bundle costs $49 and 25% of your purchase will be donated to your choice of charity. Currently, MacHeist has sold over 4,000 bundles and raised over $50,000 for charity. You can purchase a bundle at the MacHeist website.

We talk up the file launcher and manipulator Quicksilver quite a bit here at TUAW, but there is a solid batch of similar productivity-enhancing utilities that offer different things for different users. Whether you're looking for a simple utility that lets you launch your applications faster than Spotlight can find them, or you're prepared to step up to vast amounts of power and flexibility with what you find and how you use it, chances are I covered an app in this screencast that will fit the bill for you. From the power of Butler to the simplicity of Namely, I wanted to give you at least some of the basics and a visual on how 5 different launchers work, as well as their pros and cons and how they differ from each other. However, since I am a Quicksilver lover at heart, it is very likely that I missed a key feature or two in these apps, so feel free to highlight your favorite features and what you think new users can truly benefit from in the comments. Also, for anyone interested in what I'm using to create these screencasts, I include a very short blurb at the beginning which highlights a few of the tools I use to record the screencast and create some of the effects I use.

This time around I've decided to try something different, and I've created two versions of the screencast. In our podcast feed is an iPod-friendly version of the podcast that's 640 x 400, 17 minute and 40 MB - that's the one you can get by subscribing to our iTunes Store podcast feed or our direct TUAW podcast feed. I've also created an HD version for those who want something with a little more detail (sorry, we don't have an RSS feed for HD podcasts yet; this is a new thing so we'll see how it goes). That one will look better on larger displays and should play mighty fine on the Apple TV.

To make sure we're all on the same page and that you can run out and grab demos of these launchers, here is a list of links to all the apps I mention in the screencast, including the ones I use to create and record it:

Launchers

• Quicksilver - donationware
  
• LaunchBar - commercial: $19.95
  
• Butler - donationware
  
• Overflow - commercial: $14.95
  
• Namely - donationware
  

Screencast recording

• Desktopple Pro - hiding the desktop icons, custom wallpaper and more (which we've mentioned before)
• Mouseposé - spotlight effects, keystroke overlays (which I didn't use in this specific screencast) and other presentation highlighting tools (mentioned here)
• iShowU - excellent and customizable app for recording screencasts (mentioned a couple times here)

I hope you enjoy the screencast, and please feel free to leave feedback to let me know how I'm doing with producing these. If you prefer HD podcasts that look better on screen and can play on an Apple TV (instead of 640 px wide podcasts which are the max an iPod can handle), definitely let me know that too.

Stunt Software has just released OverFlow 2.0, which is a simple Finder alternative that lives in your Dock. It is an application launcher, a file opener, and an organizational tool to help keep your virtual workspace clear of clutter.

A lot has changed since we first wrote about OverFlow. New to 2.0 are categories, the ability to drag documents onto applications in OverFlow, and an improved help system.

OverFlow 2.0 is Universal and will cost you $14.95 (there is a free trial available).

While there are many full-featured launchers and dock alternatives available, Overflow by Stunt Software keeps it simple. The interface features several wells, into which you can drop an application, folder, volume and so on. Simply click the Overflow icon in the dock to activate it (or better yet, let Quicksilver do the job), then click the icon representing what you're after. Simple and effective.

Overflow requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later and costs $14.95US (or, if you're very quick, $9.95US at Maczot for the next couple of hours).