Taking advantage of the recent lighter workload, I organized the products I've used this year outside of design work (excluding AI-related ones, as there are too many ==). I limited similar functionalities to no more than two. The useful software has improved my efficiency, and I took the opportunity to collect and organize the information I need, which adds some joy to life.
My three favorite products of 2023 are Eagle, Follow, and HapiGo. I look forward to discovering even better products next year.
This is a personal opinion for reference only, and I welcome discussions~
Browsing Related#
arc:
The browser I use at home, which has many interesting auxiliary features, such as spatial partitioning, vertical sidebars, automatic renaming of downloaded files, and the ability to revert to the previous tab with c+z, etc. Although the founder stated that there won't be major version updates by the end of this year, I will probably continue to use it for a while before switching.
edge:
The browser used at the company, inspired by a blog, has removed some unnecessary features and manually set a lighter version, which also has a vertical sidebar. In short, as long as personal bookmarks can sync, I can try new browsers at any time.
Output Related#
An old-school minimalist Markdown editor. One of its great features is that it can display the effects of character editing in real-time, WYSIWYG, supports iCloud sync, and costs 89 yuan for a one-time purchase. It doesn't have too many other features, which suits me now. Although there are many all-in-one options available, such as Obsidian, Notion, Heptabase, etc., the problem is that they come with a learning curve, expensive annual subscription prices, and imperfect experiences. It's better to stick to specialized tools.
uPic:
A very useful image hosting tool. It is used to insert links to local images or videos in Markdown writing and supports many private image hosts. If used occasionally or as a temporary transfer station, the free SMMS can be used first. The downside is that it loads a bit slowly and may lose images (after all, it's free). I tried to set up a more secure and private image hosting using Tencent Cloud, which is also reasonably priced.
Input Related#
An RSS reading tool, a product just released by DIYgod this year. I actually knew about this type of software a long time ago, but after opening it for a while, I lost interest and couldn't form a habit. The reason is that if the filtered information sources are not viewed in time, it quickly accumulates to 99+, and I lose the motivation to open them. However, this one makes searching RSS very convenient, with certain categorization and custom rule features, as well as a token feature similar to Bilibili, which adds some playability. I look forward to an early mobile version for easier use during my commute.
A text fragment recording tool, focusing on quick recording and random review. It was one of my favorites last year, and continuous recording allows me to see the value this product brings to me.
An information collection and management tool, one of my favorites last year. It is cross-platform and supports iCloud sync, used for collecting valuable articles and fragment information found on the internet. It can parse and back up, which is very practical.
An image and media collection and organization tool, always my favorite. It supports local storage, tagging, and folder classification. The plugin feature in the new version 4.0 can solve most material processing problems, such as one-click enlargement for clarity, image search, format conversion, etc. I spent 99 yuan to buy it during my junior year, and it has become essential. Before the second price increase, I spent some more money to buy additional device codes. I mainly use it to organize design materials or personal photos that I browse daily.
Efficiency Related#
An input method auto-switching tool. This is really practical, as I often switch software without knowing which input method is being used or whether it's Chinese or English, leading to the need to type to confirm, which affects efficiency. This tool can automatically switch to English input when switching to Photoshop and to Chinese input when switching to documents or WeChat.
A file manager that extends the native Finder on Mac. One of its convenient features is that it allows multiple windows to be opened, avoiding window clutter. It also supports cmd+c! This solves my reluctance to use the left mouse button for copying. There are also some very practical features, such as real-time display of folder size data, so you no longer have to right-click to view the summary to see file sizes, as well as customizable shortcut clicks, etc.
A quick launcher. The domestic alternative to Raycast, which is more suitable for me in Chinese. I look forward to future updates that can support more plugins. It already has many one-click AI, translation, and screenshot plugins that I use daily.
A famous download tool for Mac. If you need direct link downloads, this is enough.
A minimalist multimedia transcoder. I don't use it often, but when I need it, I think of using it first.
An image viewer that emphasizes a similar operational logic to Windows. You can view images by double-clicking, and the customization options are quite comprehensive.
An image enlarging tool with built-in AI models to choose from, and the effects are quite good.
A small tool to enhance the right-click menu on Mac, allowing you to create and move files with a right-click.
IINA:
The best media player for Mac.
Keka:
A beautifully designed compression tool that is also elegant and practical.
A tool that automatically organizes files using rules. For example, the Mac downloads folder can automatically categorize files by format, making it easier to find previously downloaded files without sifting through a pile of junk and various formats. There is a beginner's introduction on the minority side.
A tool for convenient font preview and management. After using too many font files, finding the desired style can be troublesome. The built-in Font Book on Mac is indeed not user-friendly, and this software meets my needs. There is also a similar software called Rightfont, which I also highly recommend.
A user-friendly, simple, and comprehensive tool. The product name is straightforward and clear, designed for quick retrieval and use :)
A computer cleaning tool, featuring a cool appearance. Tencent's Lemon Cleaner is also recommended, and it is very minimalist.
Beautification Related#
A DIY beautification tool for battery status, adding a cute emoji icon in the menu bar that syncs with battery levels, making my mood better.
An animation display for connecting headphones to Mac. Its function is to show an animation on Mac when opening AirPods, allowing you to see the connection status at a glance.
A beautification tool for Mac's notch screen, adding a black border at the top to perfectly hide the MacBook's notch. Although I don't find it particularly ugly, hiding it does make it look more elegant.
A tool to customize information that stays in the status bar. You can set it to add GIF animations, device, and network information to the status bar, which is quite interesting.
A tool to hide status bar icons, specifically targeting the icons in the upper right corner of the status bar. If there are icons you want to keep visible, you can quickly set them.
A tool to convert images into icons, allowing for mutual conversion between icon formats and various image formats, used to beautify Mac application icons or export them in reverse.
That's all~ See you next time!