thriftmac

Alic has replaced my old friend ImageOptim

2026-06-12T01:23:56Z

Before I upload an icon image for Thriftmac, I run it through an image compressor. This substantially reduces its size and helps the site load faster.

For many years, that image compressor was ImageOptim. Now it’s Alic.

This app was recommended on the Textpattern forum, a place frequented by people whose opinions I trust, so I gave it a try.

My first impression: wow is it ever fast. It’s almost instant. ImageOptim, by comparison, can take several seconds.

Plus, there’s a lot more:

In addition to handling PNG, JPG and GIF, it can also process WebP and AVIF.
You can resize at the same time with dimensions of your choice, plus options for background fill.
You can decide whether the output is an overwrite or a new file with a postfix.
You can convert to a specified format, including WebP.
You can create different profiles to suit different needs.

As of this writing, Alic has had 40 releases since it first appeared in February 2024.

Stik

2026-06-05T23:34:22Z

One-click notes app promises to get you back to work in under three seconds. Press commmand-shift-S to get a floating post-it, type your note, then press escape. Notes are saved as plain markdown files on your Mac. On-device AI helps with semantic search and smart folder suggestions.

Nodes

2026-06-04T16:41:19Z

This writing app is designed to be minimal, beautiful and fast. Instant search understands both context and keywords. It renders markdown as you type. Files and LLMs stay on your device.

Intellidock

2026-05-27T17:41:43Z

Your dock slides out of the way if a window comes near it. Comes with levels of sensitivity that you can adjust.

Alic

2026-05-23T14:01:13Z

Super fast image compressor keeps a copy of the original and allows you create profiles for different needs. Supports WebP and has a resizing option.

Numsy

2026-05-19T18:57:21Z

A minimalist calculator for your menu bar that features history, percentages (such as sales tax), customization and the option of multiple calculators.

Spank

2026-05-19T18:48:09Z

Give your Mac a smack and it says “ow!” Also has sexy and Halo (yes, the game) modes. Or get it to play custom MP3s of your choice. You control the sensitivity.

massCode

2026-05-08T03:30:25Z

A code snippets manager that includes markdown notes, HTTP requests, calculations, and built-in developer tools. Integrates with VS Code and Raycast. Data stays on your computer.

macAppLibrary

2026-05-05T20:23:40Z

For those times when you have so many apps that you can’t remember what some of them do — an app that scans them and provides a descriptions of each.

Halloy

2026-05-05T20:12:42Z

Messaging doesn’t have to be done via a privately owned platform. You can get back to the basics of internet relay chat, an open, standardized protocol created in 1988.

Macshot

2026-04-29T22:14:45Z

Features include global hotkey, annotations, scroll capture, screen recording, smart censor, gradient backgrounds, text extraction, and one-click upload.

Nextpad++

2026-04-26T23:31:44Z

A full native port of Notepad++ that — for better or worse — looks and feels like the original Windows app. Dozens of plugins have also been ported. Features include syntax highlighting, search and replace, macro recording and split view editing.

Sniffnet

2026-04-24T22:30:17Z

Keep track of internet traffic to and from your Mac. Find out which of your apps are phoning home with your data.

XnConvert has over a hundred ways to batch convert your images

2026-04-05T19:40:28Z

I recently made a rare update to Scrimpy’s Picks with an oldie-but-goodie called XnConvert.

It only took a few seconds for it to batch convert a folder of over 400 icons — trimming the transparent edges and resizing them to 200 by 200 pixels.

And those are just two of the many actions you can perform. In total there are over 100, many of which have settings of their own.

I appreciated that I could see a preview before clicking the Convert button. That saved me from one bit of ugliness that needed to be dealt with separately.

The app may be long in the tooth, but it did get an update in March 2025. And it’s not all that old — judging by the site’s copyright, it came out in 2013.

Also, if you’re a fan of the imaginative Mac icons that existed before Apple went full squircle, you’ll love the look of this one.

Kando

2026-04-05T19:14:10Z

Use a pie menu to launch apps, execute macros and open files. Create nested menus, assign icons and configure your workflow. Use with your choice of input device.