Popclip
A better selection
Over the course of the past few OS X
updates, Apple has taken to bringing some of the better features of iOS “back
to the Mac”. PopClip adds one of the ones they left out. On our iPhones and
iPads, selecting text automatically brings up a context menu, but when using
our Macs, those options require an extra right-click. With PopClip, a
customizable, iOS-style pop-up menu appears over selected text, allowing easy
access to the actions we use most.
PopClip
brings OS X just a little closer to iOS.
But the real power is in its extensions.
Dozens of options are available to soup-up PopClip, from integration with
Fantastical to translation and spotlight searching, and PopClip is smart enough
to know which ones you might need for your block of text. We experienced a
couple of crashes using PopClip, and the lack of distinct separation between
actions was confusing at times.
The bottom line
PopClip makes your Mac a little more like
your iPad and that’s a good thing.
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Product: PopClip 1.4.4
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Company: Pilotmoon Software
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Contact: www.pilotmoon.com
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Price: $4.99
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Requirements: OS X 10.6.6 or later
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Positives: Quick access to common functions.
Integrates well with apps. Fantastic customization
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Negatives: Some crashing. Long rows of
extensions can get confusing.
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Rated (Great): 4/5
Snapheal
Photo magic
The last time we reviewed Snapheal, we
marveled at how it could easily erase unwanted objects from your photos.
MacPhun calls it magic, and we said, “It’s a bold claim we happen to agree
with”.
Version 2.2 keeps that magic, and fixes a
lot of the problems we had — and for $3 less. You can now import from Aperture
as well as iPhoto, Photo Booth, and the Finder. In the Erase tab, you can paint
on objects you want to remove, use the polygonal or free lasso, or even choose
the Clone tool to pick the exact part of the photo you want to use to cover the
unwanted part. Erasing modes include Shapeshifter, the most universal according
to the app’s tooltip, as well as Twister and Wormhole, although the app doesn’t
explain what the other two are or how they differ.
Just
paint over an object and click Erase. It’s that easy.
After you’re done in the Erase tab, the
Retouch tab lets you paint a mask over parts of your photo, and then use the
sliders to make edits to just those areas (exposure, contrast, saturation, and
more). The Adjust tab has similar adjustments but applies them to the whole
image, and a cool side-by-side mode lets you see the before and after.
The bottom line
This might just be the most powerful image
editing 12 bucks can buy.
·
Product: Snapheal 2.2
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Company: MacPhun
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Contact: www.macphun.com
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Price: $11.99
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Requirements: OS X 10.7 or later
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Positives: Remove unwanted objects easily.
Brighten colors and easily make other adjustments. Make edits on one part of
the photo while leaving others untouched.
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Negatives: Masking tools could be more
intuitive.
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Rated (Excellent): 4.5/5
Ensoul contacts
Put your best faces forward
No matter how “first world” the problem may
be, it’s still a drag when a friend calls you and a horrid, pixelated, grainy
mess appears on your iPhone’s beautiful display. Ensoul Contacts (ironically, a
Mac app) solves this easily.
Ensoul
Contacts has a near-perfect interface.
On first launch, it asks your iPhone’s
screen size and pixel density, a nice touch. The clear main interface lets you
select a contact on the left, and then drag in a photo from your iPhoto library
(or other sources) on the right. If you use iPhoto’s Faces feature, Ensoul can
even auto-match the faces to the contacts, which worked seamlessly. Once you’ve
selected a photo, you can zoom and crop it, add filters, and preview how it
will look on your exact model of iPhone. Ensoul Contacts syncs those photos to your
Contacts app, where they’re updated on your iPhone via iCloud or a manual
sync.
The bottom line
The interface couldn’t be much better, and
if you’re willing to pay $9.99 to fix the low-res caller ID image problem, this
doesn’t just solve it, it obliterates it.
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Product: Ensoul Contacts 2.0
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Company: MacPaw
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Contact: www.macpaw.com
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Price: $9.99
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Requirements: OS X 10.7.5 or later
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Positives: Goes above and beyond solving the
problem. Great UI and design. Great customization options
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Negatives: Pricey, considering the problem. Some
filters decrease image quality.
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Rated (Excellent): 4.5/5
