What has happened to BeLight Software?

What happened with BeLight Software?

Have they officially shut shop and abandoned all their software?

I'm a long-time user of Get Backup Pro and really don't want to switch, but I'm experiencing too many crashes these days, and it has not had an update in a long time

https://redd.it/1p1to2u
@macappsbackup

My new note setup: fsnotes + typora

I've been hopping around note-taking/second brain apps and have tried the following apps:

1. Apple Notes
2. Bear App
3. Obsidian
4. Logseq
5. VSCode + Foam plugin

## Apple Notes

Apple notes is pretty good. It has a lot of features and does almost everything I want. But I'm not fond of the fact that the notes are in a proprietary format. I know Apple recently added Markdown export. But I'd prefer to just use native Markdown.

## Bear App

Bear App is pretty good. It uses Markdown natively and supports quite a number of export formats. But it also stores notes in a database and requires manual export to Markdown. It also commits the cardinal sin of software: it requires a subnoscription. I'm grandfathered in at $15/year, so it's not too bad. But the subnoscription is a deal breaker. Especially, since they use iCloud to sync, so I don't see them having any recurring cloud costs that would warrant a subnoscription.

## Obsidian

This checks a lot of boxes. It does Markdown. It uses flat files. It doesn't have a subnoscription. But there is just something about the it that doesn't work for me. On the Mac, it's OK. On iOS and iPadOS, it just doesn't work for me.

## Logseq

I tried to make this work for me. I watched a ton of videos about it. And it just didn't click. I have no idea why. It just didn't.

## VSCode + Foam

This was supposed to give me a Roam-like experience without needing to subscribe to Roam. It worked OK. Not a fan of a seperate edit and preview window, and there was no good solution for my iPhone and iPad.

## FSNotes

The last app I discovered was FSNotes. This is an open source app that stores everything as flat files. You can download it from Github for free or buy it in the Mac app store to support the developer. The MAS version comes pre-configured to use iCloud to sync. There is also an iOS/iPadOS version.

Overall a pretty good all. But the Markdown editor in the app was a little weak, and you had to toggle between edit mode and view mode. But at least it was all one window and you didn't have the split screen view a lot of apps have.

Then I discovered that you can edit notes from FSNotes using an external markdown editor. So, I inserted Typora into the mix. Now, I'm using Typora (which is AMAZING!) for my Markdown editing, and just using FSNotes at the database to see a list of my notes and search them.

So far, this is working well for me.

I would love it if Typora offered some kind of API, so you could embed Typora into your app as an editor.

I'm also kind of interested in Panda, which is an app the Bear team develops that seems to offer the Bear editing engine, and plain text files. There is a Mac beta. No iOS/iPadOS version. And I assume because it's Bear, there will be a subnoscription. So, this may be a hard no, once they announce pricing.

https://redd.it/1p1ti5t
@macappsbackup

Looking for an app to automate window layouts across multiple displays

Is there an app that can do the following?

\- Open selected applications—some minimized, some visible—at predefined sizes and positions on the screen

\- Recognize and adapt to multiple display setups (for example, when I’m at my home office with a large external monitor, at work with a different screen configuration, or using only my laptop screen)



https://redd.it/1p1w9q9
@macappsbackup

AppReview AI – Analyze App Store Reviews with On-Device Apple Intelligence (Free Tier Available)

Hey everyone,

I built a small macOS app for developers who want to understand their own App Store reviews or check competitors more efficiently.

AppReview AI summarizes reviews using Apple’s on-device Foundation Models.
No API keys, no cloud services, and everything runs locally on the machine.

The free version lets you add one app and run three AI analyses so you can try all main features without limits on UI or navigation.

Since it's Black Friday week, I’ve also made the Lifetime option available (normally I only offer subnoscription tiers).

If you’re working on Mac or iOS apps, this might help save time when reviewing feedback or researching new ideas.

https://reddit.com/link/1p1wvbo/video/5z5g43pj4d2g1/player

Direct App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/lu/app/appreview-ai-review-analyzer/id6755069850?mt=12

https://redd.it/1p1wvbo
@macappsbackup

Looking for an App that dim apps that are not opened in dock.
https://redd.it/1p1wcg0
@macappsbackup

PowerPhotos is on Bundlehunt Sale, for 5.99$ (OP: 39.99$)

PowerPhotos, a powerful Apple-photo companion app to manage, organise and easily do other tons of features within fragile Apple environment. I am buying it now and thought of sharing it here :)

You can find the Bundlehunt offer here (Keyboard Maestro is on 50% discount too until Nov 24, if you’re eyeing for it)

Also check r/PowerPhotos for new updates and big Shoutout to Dev (u/fatcatsoftware) for my go-to tool 👍

ps: I‘m no way related to Dev or product!

https://redd.it/1p1zj6g
@macappsbackup

Looking for a better way to run a living-room photo slideshow on macOS?

I’ve been trying to find a simple way to turn my TV into a kind of “conversation centerpiece” using my photos. The built-in slideshow options on macOS work, but they’re pretty limited once you want more control over what shows up, how often photos repeat, or how you organize things.

My goal was a setup where you can point to any folder, filter things intelligently, and let it run on a screen during gatherings without becoming repetitive or chaotic. I wanted something that feels more intentional than a digital photo frame, but still easy enough for non-tech family members to enjoy.

I was surprised how few tools exist for this use case on macOS. If anyone has tried different apps or has opinions on good approaches, I’d love to hear them. I’ve been working on my own solution, but I’m also curious how others handle long-running slideshows, living-room displays, or memory boards.

How do you all handle this on your Macs?

https://redd.it/1p20gq6
@macappsbackup

Spotlight vs Alfred, Raycast and similar launchers

Are you still using Alfred, Raycast, LaunchBar, Monarch or a similar launcher, or is Spotlight enough for you in Tahoe?

I used Alfred with PowerPack for several years, but after Tahoe was released I reinstalled the whole system and didn’t reinstall all my original apps. Among other things, I wanted to see what it would be like to live with just Spotlight again. And even after a month, I still haven’t felt the need to install anything else.

On the other hand, I do use BetterTouchTool quite heavily. I have tons of different shortcuts, automations, text snippets; I’m even using its clipboard history now, and overall it’s the most important productivity utility for me. Spotlight is basically just a file and content search tool, an app launcher, and a Shortcuts trigger.

The only thing that bothers me, and I still don’t understand it, is why Spotlight is so terribly slow. How can an app built directly by Apple be slower than third party software that can do so much more? Spotlight used to be unbearably slow, which is why I switched to Alfred in the first place. In Tahoe it feels a bit snappier, but it’s still not quite there.

https://redd.it/1p23lpn
@macappsbackup

Slate: Launching An AI-first browser in Alpha on Mac today

Slate

# We are launching an AI-first browser in Alpha on Mac today

What's different from other AI browsers? Every recent AI browser (Atlas, Dia, Comet) just adds a chat sidebar to normal tabs. That's not rethinking browsing—that's duct tape.

We rebuilt the UI from the ground up around AI Chat Sessions. Each research session starts with AI, then you naturally branch out into relevant sites.

# How it works:

1. Ask AI about "best road running shoes for men"
2. AI searches and synthesizes results
3. Open interesting sources in the same session
4. Continue asking follow-ups with full context

Your browsing flows from AI research, not alongside it.

# Why You'll Love It

⚡ Actually Fast
Built on Safari's WebKit engine—not another Chromium wrapper. Native macOS UI means everything is snappy and responsive.

🔒 Privacy-First

We don't track your conversations. Ever.
Built-in ad blocking + tracking protection (UBlock Origin)
No data collection on your chats

🧠 Smart Session Management

Auto-archives sessions daily so your sidebar stays clean
Pin important sessions to keep them
Group browsing by topic/project automatically

# This is Alpha—We Need Your Feedback

We're a small team rethinking what browsers should be in the AI era. Would love your honest feedback, bug reports, and feature requests.

Download: https://api.slatebrowser.com/dist/slate-1.0.1.dmg
(Apple Verified App, macOS 15.0+)

What would make this perfect for your workflow? Drop your thoughts below 👇

https://redd.it/1p25qcp
@macappsbackup

Sending an email to a “to do” inbox

I thought OmniFocus or Devonthink would have been able to do this on iOS or iPadOS.

Basically I want to be able to longpress an email I’ve received and shoot it over to an app for later action. Is there anything that can help with this?

I get these ads for music plugins that I can’t do anything with until later.

I thought this would have been a native function in iOS mail

https://redd.it/1p27ha5
@macappsbackup

Sindre Sorhus (Dato, Supercharge, Velja, etc) Black Friday (28 Nov-1 Dec) deals
https://sindresorhus.com/apps/discounts

https://redd.it/1p28ag4
@macappsbackup

Looking for a native macOS alternative to MAMP PRO (perpetual license, multi-host, Redis, etc.)

Hey folks,

I’m currently using MAMP PRO on macOS and… it’s been rough:

* Frequent crashes
* Feels slow / heavy
* Dock icon can’t be hidden (support told me it’s a macOS limitation, but I have plenty of other apps that offer both a dock icon *and* a menu bar icon and let you hide the dock one… so that answer didn’t really convince me)


Because of all that, I’m looking for a native macOS alternative with a one-time purchase / perpetual license (same idea as MAMP’s license model), *not* a recurring subnoscription if possible.

**What I’m looking for feature-wise**:

* Multiple virtual hosts / projects
* Multiple PHP versions
* MySQL support
* Redis
* Memcache
* Nginx *and/or* Apache (ideally both or at least easy switching)
* Native macOS app (not just Docker configs or pure CLI tooling)


Bonus points if:

* It’s actively maintained
* Not super bloated / slow
* Lets me control whether there’s a dock icon, menu bar icon, etc.


Are there any apps out there that tick most of these boxes?

If you’ve migrated away from MAMP PRO, what did you move to and how’s your experience been?



Thanks

https://redd.it/1p28rjd
@macappsbackup

What Did You Buy for Mac This Black Friday?

Hey fellow Mac geeks!

With Black Friday deals everywhere, I’m curious what Mac apps or utilities have you bought this year, or what’s still on your wishlist? Whether it’s a productivity tool, a creative suite, or something niche, I would like to know and possibly you want to share with others.

Personally, I just grabbed Lasso and a creator bundle (three apps) from RamPatra that includes Presentify, KeyScreen, and FaceScreen. All these are super useful for teaching, presenting, and content creation. If you haven’t checked out RamPatra’s Creator Bundle yet, it’s worth a look:Creator Bundle by Ram Patra - App Store. It costed me INR 1000. Lasso also was around INR 1000 for 3 devices.

https://redd.it/1p1x2zu
@macappsbackup

Almighty vs Supercharge

I noticed that they are quite similar, and I am unsure which one to purchase. Which one do you think is better?

https://redd.it/1p2e7nt
@macappsbackup

App Switcher

I have been using the stage manager since it launched thinking it was convenient. Now I just feel like it takes up a lot of space and it is cluttered. Anyone has recommendations for good app switchers that also deal with multiple windows of the same app? The multiple windows thing drives me crazy, having to go to Window option on the menu and choosing one. Especially on full screen. I don't mind a good paid app.

https://redd.it/1p2h7bu
@macappsbackup

I needed this to force myself to go to sleep
https://clemstation.com/auto-shutdown

https://redd.it/1p2iak8
@macappsbackup

Parall - now runs multiple isolated instances of most non sandboxed Mac apps

When I first released Parall on the Mac App Store it was basically a focused launcher for multiple Chrome based browsers with separate profiles. At that point I honestly could not imagine that the same app would later let me run multiple copies of things like Dropbox or Discord on one Mac with cleanly separated data. Now it does exactly that.

The new version adds a HOME redirection feature.

Instead of every instance sharing the same ~/Library tree, Parall can create an isolated directory tree for each shortcut and override the HOME environment only for the child process. For most traditional non sandboxed macOS apps this is enough to make them behave like independent profiles.

Parall - The Parallel App Launcher for macOS

On top of that the update adds support for custom environment variables and command line arguments per shortcut. This lets Parall drive apps that already have profile, workspace or config flags, and you can combine those flags with HOME redirection when needed.

https://preview.redd.it/d9yonzma5i2g1.jpg?width=1319&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7de0fe3a2336c06d62319898cf465df83f0ab5b

In practice this now works for

multiple profiles of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera, Tor Browser
separate instances of Dropbox, Discord, Slack, Telegram Desktop, Viber
multiple environments for Visual Studio Code, Qt Creator, Arduino IDE, FreeCAD, Blender and other tools
other fully verified apps: FileMaker Pro, Git Tower, OBS, KiCad, Plex, Spotify, Sublime Text, Sublime Merge, LightBurn, Notion, Cursor, Evernote, Zoom, MikroTik WinBox, QQ, and Audacity

Each profile has its own shortcut app, its own icon in the Dock, and its own data.

I keep an up to date compatibility list here https://parall.app/compatibility/

There are limits. Sandboxed apps are still restricted by their system containers, so support there is partial. iOS and iPadOS apps that you can install on Apple silicon Macs are not supported at all. Parall cannot launch them and cannot provide data separation for them.

If you use a Parall shortcut together with the original app, start the original app first, then launch the shortcut. To avoid any launch‑order dependency, create two shortcuts and use those exclusively - they can be started in any order.

If you rely on a specific Mac app that is not listed yet, you can tell me its name and I will test it under Parall and update the table so you know whether it works before you decide to purchase.

If you want to try it Parall is available on the Mac App Store. To learn more, visit the official website: https://parall.app

I prepared a small number of Mac App Store promo codes for this update. To claim one, comment with the Mac app you want to run in parallel with Parall. After you comment, the redeem link https://promodistro.link/claim/ZImp3Yu8Kx will work for you until the codes run out.

https://redd.it/1p2jjil
@macappsbackup

No Magic+ subnoscription?

I'm trying to use this app called Magic, (it's a drawing app that uses the trackpad as a drawing tablet), but for some reason as soon as I launched it, it shows me a pop-up getting me to pay for some subnoscription called Magic+.

This is confusing because I thought the app was free, yet there's no option to close the pop-up.

https://preview.redd.it/bey1j04oai2g1.png?width=923&format=png&auto=webp&s=85f959855dfd5254de75ca24790a4ffe55cfc597

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

https://redd.it/1p2kcgh
@macappsbackup

What's a clipboard manager that can let me copy 10 things and paste them in one go?

This is one thing that I want and I can't seem to get. I currently use BTT's clipboard manager and it's great and has many features but I can't for the life of me get it to let me copy multiple things and join them into one string to paste out, which is driving me up the wall.

I learned that Monarch's clipboard manager can do this, but I just found out it is paid so I don't really feel like investing in it (given that I already have raycast installed and don't use it).

Anyone know of a good (ideally a lightweight one without a thousand extra features!) clipboard manager or a noscriptable one?

https://redd.it/1p2gmyg
@macappsbackup

Soundsource 5.8.x Macos 15 and above

I'm having an issue with "cracky sound" using any Soundsource version out after 5.7.5 when I'm in a game and using the "Game Mode" macOS feature (macos 15.7)

Owning a macbook pro m1 14”, I have the intention to upgrade to the new Tahoe update.

Unfortunately, 5.7.5 does not seem to be supported using Tahoe, so I'm a bit at a dead end here as I need Soundsource for work, and I'm afraid Soundsource will not be working in game mode (Game Mode is obviously not related to my work, but it's still nice to have game audio going through the app. I also know I can exclude applications).

I tried what the official website said, removing all caches/settings folders and uninstalling ACE/the app multiple times. The ACE driver does not seem to be the issue as I can also use the latest ACE version on my previous 5.7.5 fine with no audio issue.

For those having a m1 pro, Do any of you have an audio issue in Game Mode ? Do any of you have perfectly working audio in Game Mode using 5.8.x ?

Thank you

https://redd.it/1p2n754
@macappsbackup

Any macOS apps with insanely good first-run onboarding like Dia?
https://youtu.be/ZdIiN9coS_A?si=_u1NhvxlmDJ3Y2Zn

https://redd.it/1p2ppxh
@macappsbackup