| A Better Finder Creators & Types | QT Speed 1.0 | Trash It! 3.6 |

Many readers may remember my review of Frank Reiff's A Better Finder Rename, back in October, 1998. A Better Finder Rename enabled you to automatically rename batches of files through a contextual menu in the finder. Similarly, A Better Finder Creators & Types (referred to as ABFCT from this point on) allows you to change the creator and/or type of any file via an application launched through a contextual menu plug-in.

ABFCT will change the creator and/or type of a large batch of files all at once, eliminating the need to manually "Save As..." from the program which you want to be the creator (the program that is opened when you double click on the file). Another way to do this would be with ResEdit, but this would be even more time consuming. ABFCT is a no-fuss program. It has a very well-done interface, allowing you to simply select the creator and/or type from a pop-up menu and then click "OK." ABFCT also allows you to type in a creator and/or type code, so you can give a file any code you want, not just the codes of the programs listed in the pop-up menu. ABFCT is very fast, and your file(s)' creator and/or types are changed instantly.

ABFCT also ships with a handy "Drop" application, where you can drag and drop any number of files onto it and it will launch ABFCT, just as if you were using the contextual menu.

Owning a PowerBook is different, and many desktop users don't realize how much different it really is until they own one. When I was a desktop user, I never imagined that I would have to literally reconfigure my machine several times a week. Now, however, I'm the proud owner of a PowerBook G3--a machine that I take almost everywhere I go. Every time I change location preferences using Apple's handy Location Manager, I am more and more thankful for this wonderful software. However, there was always one setting that the Location Manager didn't change: QuickTime Connection Speed. QT Speed, by Mark Eaton, has filled that gap nicely.

In today's world, QuickTime movies imbedded via the QuickTime Plug-in on Internet web pages are commonplace. Many web pages include different versions of their movies, and the version that you receive depends on the connection speed setting you have in your QuickTime Settings control panel. I switch between a modem and a T1 connection frequently, and having to reconfigure this setting each time I browse the web is a hassle. That's where QT Speed 1.0 comes in. I can configure this module along with the rest of my Location settings, and it will automatically change my settings each time I switch settings with the Location Manager.

Trash It! is a simple control strip module that allows you to instantly delete anything that you drag and drop onto it. It will also empty the trash if you click on it. Trash It! will delete locked or busy files without any prompting, and is fully Mac OS 8.5.x and Control Strip 2.0 compatible. Cool!