A few of my favorite Mac apps

Tech

Over the years, I’ve used A LOT of apps. I’ve been a self-proclaimed early adopter ever since I possessed a computer of my own. Beyond that I’m also what some may call a legacy adopter opting for lots of solutions unbound to the grips of the damn cloud. The list of my favorite apps wasn’t easy to make, and like most other things in life, it’s not permanent and will most definitely change. Lots of these apps are free 🆓 and a few are paid 💰. Anywho, let’s dig in.

1. Jumpcut 🆓

The list of clipboard utilities seems never-ending and bloated as all get out. I’ve been using Jumpcut since the beginning of my career, and it remains my favorite clipboard management tool.

2. Euclid 🆓

The list of clipboard utilities seems never-ending and bloated as all get out. I’ve been using Jumpcut since the beginning of my career, and it remains my favorite clipboard management tool.

3. Velja 🆓

A newer addition to my favorite apps, Velja is the browser picker I’ve been on the hunt for. Again, a handful of paid and other free apps can handle this, but I have found Velja to be the best. I’ll switch my default browser to Brave for work things and Safari for home things; this allows me to use browser-specific features when they’re most relevant.

4. Jiffy 🆓

Made by the creator of Velja, Jiffy is the perfect Giphy tool for your menu bar. It gives you access to Giphy via your menu bar, complete with a simple copy/paste function that pairs nicely with apps like Notion. AND, the Unicorn icon in your menubar looks good too 🦄.

5. ImageOptim 🆓

There are many ways and places to optimize images for the web, and because of that, I like to have a consistent point of origin for my compression. In walks ImageOptim, which does just that and allows me to customize my compression for different file types.

6. Breaktime 💰

Oh boy, I always talk about this app but never call it by name, so here is a BIG SHOUTOUT. Breaktime, is an excellent solution for reminding you to take a lil’ break-a-roni. I often run it to lock my computer once an hour for 2 minutes, taking that break to wiggle, stretch, and reset.

7. Hidden Bar 🆓

A free and straightforward alternative to apps like Butler(💰) or Vanilla(🆓).

8. Trash Me 3 💰

An easy-to-use tool for cleaning, uninstalling, and keeping apps (in and out of the app store) up-to-date.

9. noat 🆓

🚨 Shameless self-plug 🚨 While it may be uncouth to include something I made into a list of my favorite apps, it is not untrue that this is one of my favorite and most-used applications. Plus, I have a few updates on the way that I think are neat.

I hope you found at least one of these apps useful. If you liked this, please share and subscribe to get notified of future posts. A collection of my favorite iOS apps is in the oven.

Southwest Hiking in Early 2024

Hiking

When the beginning of 2024 hit, I wanted to be super intentional about getting my butt outside more. A big part of staying in the groove of hiking as much as you can is planning. So, I planned a few trips to Southern New Mexico and that beautiful part of Texas, a.k.a. Big Bend. From caves to mountains to stars, I’m stoked about where I’ve been at the start of this year.

Geronimo’s Cave, Las Cruces, New Mexico, February 15, 2024

I truly enjoy taking long-exposure photos of the stars. These three photos are just a few examples, but trust me, I have many more.

30 seconds, Terlingua Ranch Rd, Apline, Texas, March 9, 2024
30 seconds, Terlingua Ranch Rd, Apline, Texas, March 9, 2024
30 seconds, Terlingua Ranch Rd, Apline, Texas, March 9, 2024
McKittrick Ridge Trail, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat, Texas, March 29, 2024

Welcome, y’all!

General

After a few months of jamming, I’m finally releasing the newest version of The Studio of Derek S. Moore. I spent time focusing on lots of little details, better establishing my shop, starting up a blog, and preparing for new things to come. Let’s dig into some of the details.

Design and Inspiration

The new design was inspired by a collection of different sources, most of them cinema. I was drawn to the moody and gritty films from the 70s and 80s. The list is long, but here is a small sampling:

Along with film, I wanted to incorporate the simplicity of modern tech—sleek, minimal, and optimized for information consumption. A shoutout to Inter for its depth and ease of readability. I’m sure the brand will continue to grow, but I’m really stoked about where everything landed.

Functionality and Content

A handful of iterations back, dereksmoore.com had a really nice scroll flow. Scrolling up and down the pages was pleasant, akin to dragging your hand through water. Since that release, I’ve been eager to return to that experience, and I believe this build does that! I’m encouraged by the current state and looking forward to building on it.

The updated site includes a new blog; you’re probably reading this here now… Anywho, I’ve carved out a nice calendar of content with some neato articles in the upcoming months. Here are a few titles of articles I’ve penciled in:

  • 🍑 Behind the Cheeks: All about bongo butt
  • ❤️ 🖥️ A few of my favorite apps (Desktop Edition)
  • ❤️ 📱 A few of my favorite apps (Mobile Edition)
  • 🌀 Destination-less: the art of wandering

This update also touts a more robust and permanent store. I’ve loaded it up with a handful of stickers, shirts, and hats, more of those and other products are on the way in upcoming months.

Thanks for reading, and happy surfing!

🌊 🌎 🏄‍♂️

Available now!