I usually cover one Gem per column , but today I ’ve got two elementary apps that complement iTunes . One is an update to a previous jewel , and the other is new for Mountain Lion ( OS X 10.8 ) .
Skip Tunes 2.0.1
Back in February , Ireviewed Skip Tunes 1.0 , an cheap ( $ 1 at the time ) fare - taproom control and information presentation that works with the iTunes , Spotify , and Rdio apps . Skip Tunes puts a tiny controller in the bill of fare bar that shows three buttons : turn / pause , skip ( hence the utility ’s name ) , and a euphony picture . The melodic theme is that you get a quick - and - easy way to hesitate or skip — the most rough-cut music - listening action — without having to switch to your medicine app . As a incentive , clicking the music - note icon displays the current track ’s record album artistry , as well as caterpillar track information , a advance bar , and a more - thoroughgoing bent of control : cut back , play / pause , and skip over onward .
Skip Tunes 2.0.1(Mac App Store link ) ( ) has increased in cost to $ 2 , but it ’s also gain some additional functionality . The biggest is a feature whose omission I keen in my original review : keyboard shortcuts . you could now configure systemwide keyboard cutoff for previous path , child’s play / pause , and next trail ; the shortcuts impress whichever of the three support medicine apps you ’re presently using .
In addition , Skip Tunes ’s popover display has gotten a considerable overhaul : The entire display is now big , more polished , and Retina - quick ; the advancement bar shows track time ( elapsed and remaining ) and lets you scour through the current running ; and there ’s now a shuffle - play on-off switch . The controls and progress bar now appear only when the pointer hovers over the album prowess , and you could now click anywhere on the album graphics to switch to whichever euphony app is trifle . lastly , if none of the three supported medicine apps is running , Skip Tunes hide its systemwide carte .
Skip Tunes still is n’t as full - featured as CoverSutra , my all - around iTunes - ascendancy favorite , but Skip Tunes is simple to apply , and it works with more euphony apps . The new version is a gratuitous update for owner of the original translation , although version 2 requires Mountain Lion .
iTunification 1.5
Many people do n’t call for to control iTunes in the background , but they do like to see which song or artist is play without having to swap to iTunes . There ’s a niftyTerminal trickthat lets iTunes ’s Dock image pop up a track - information display each time the track changes , and longtime substance abuser of the Growl notification system are intimate withGrowlTunes , which uses Growl to expose similar information . But if you ’re running Mountain Lion , you ’ve already got a absolutely capable notification system : Notification Center . Would n’t it be great if you could take vantage of Notification Center for this intention ?
That ’s the idea behindiTunification ( ) , a simple ground app that puzzle out with iTunes and Notification Center to exhibit an alert — showing the current track name , artist , and album name — whenever the track modification . ( Like Skip Tunes , it also works with Spotify . ) Click the onscreen notification to open your euphony app . iTunification was enliven by a similar service program , Now performing , but iTunification ’s developer says it ’s designed to be much more efficient in its use of organization resource .
Because iTunification apply Notification Center , you could habituate the Notifications pane of System Preferences to choose whether track - info telling stay on the screen until you dismiss them ( Alerts ) or disappear after a few seconds ( streamer ) . In theory , you may also opt how many late notification ( up to 20 ) remain in Notification Center , but I could n’t get this option to work — Notification Center always showed only the most - late iTunification alert . That ’s still utile for viewing info on the current track if you missed the initial notification , but I ’d love to be capable to see a list of recent iTunification alerts — a playlist of sort .
you’re able to choose to hide or show iTunification ’s systemwide fare . One intellect you might leave it seeable is that it let you put the public-service corporation in silent mode , which inhibit notice until you invalid silent mode .
verbalise of Growl , if youdohave Growl installed , iTunification contribute you the option to use Growl instead of Notification Center . One vantage of using Growl is that you may choose to show additional information — rating , year , and genre — in your notifications . Growl presentment also exhibit top art , when available .
Because it use Notification Center by default option , iTunification requires Mountain Lion . It ’s a simple , but useful , add - on that uses minimum arrangement resource .
