I sometimes actually create stuff that's so useful and so easy at the same time I wouldn't dare ask anything for it. So instead I offer it to the world. Here you are.

• Focus 2.5: Shows active application's icon with optional clock (Mac OS X 10.2 required)
• Pickup 1.4: EMP- and RMP-file download utility (a.o. for EMusic.com)

• IP FTPer for MacOS 9
• IP Mailer for Claris Emailer or Outlook Express
• Unlock Keychain script model 1.1: unlocks the MacOS 9 keychain

If you have any comments on anything on this page (yes, including typos), they are welcome.
Everything on this page may be distributed, but not sold. I have no responsibility for any problem occuring from use of these files.

You take a look at the Dock, but nothing gives away the frontmost application. You see a couple of them are running, but which one will quit if your itching fingers hit command-Q? You can always look at the menu, of course, but wouldn't it be easier to see an icon instead of only text?

All Focus does, is show you the active application's icon. Because its function is that simple, I've thrown in the usual junk of customizability: size, transparency, position on screen and window layering can all be adjusted to your needs. Version 2.1 adds an optional clock, analog or digital.

Focus with analog clock option			Digital clock option		Transparent icon

You can have a small icon in the bottom-left of your screen telling you which application is active, or a giant transparent icon on your desktop to make your work environment somewhat more, eh, dynamic.

New in version 2.5:

• If autohiding is on, Focus will now also hide itself if the mouse comes near it during a drag operation.
• The separators of the time will blink in the digital clock if the seconds are not shown

• Exclusion list for applications in which Focus will hide itself
• Horizontal and vertical position sliders for the digital clock
• The digital clock font size can now also be set using the Font panel
  You may have to do this the first time you run this version to see the clock
• Dutch Read Me and localization (along with an updated Japanese one)

New in version 2.3:

• Analog clock color can be set for hour and minute hands
• Support for multiple-monitor systems
  • Select a screen from the screen popup in the preferences
  • or drag the icon to any screen you like
  • Thanks to Thomas Deliduka & Michael Jardeen for testing this

• Japanese (thanks to RedGecko) and Dutch localization

• Digital clock option added

• Focus can now optionally display an analog clock on the icon
• Focus is easy on the CPU, but you can hide the second hand of the clock to let Focus use almost no CPU time at all
• Transparency of the clock is freely adjustable
• Added option to ignore the dock and menubar while auto-positioning the icon
• Added option to ignore all clicks on the icon, effectively allowing you to click 'through' the icon for applications that support it
• Added option to draw a window background behind the icon, for example to better display above the Apple logo in the menubar
• Transparency can be set to 100% now (double click the application icon in the Finder to show the preferences if you can't find the Focus icon)
• Preferences window re-organized
• Updated application icon to have *just* a little transparency
• Added donation link to About window (a man's got to eat ;-) but Focus will remain freeware

• Optional fade between icons when switching applications
• Optional drop-shadow behind the icon
• Option to float icon above the menubar and dock
• 1.2.1: Small preferences bug fixed

• Auto-hiding of icon if the mouse floats over it
  hiding can temporarily be disabled by holding the control key
• icon format is shown and can be changed to a free value
• icon format slider now goes all the way down to 16 pixels

Focus is ideal to put in your Login items in your System preferences. Focus doesn't appear in the dock, and stays clear of it if you change resolutions or move the dock. Apart from nine standard screen positions you can drag Focus anywhere to be just there where you see it but doesn't get in the way.

Focus has its own preferences window which is shown as soon as you click on its big icon. If you close the preferences window you can get it back by control-clicking on the big icon; a menu will appear allowing you to show the preferences window again. You can quit Focus from this menu too, or by using the button in the preferences window.

Focus is freeware. © 2003 Eerko Vissering. All right reserved.

Back to top

New in version 1.4:

• Proxy support
• Added option to add downloaded tracks to iTunes
• Save, copy or drag'n'drop Album Art
• Improved compatibility with some files
• Improved performance when adding many files at once
• Added contextual menus
• Added command to reveal package or MP3 files in Finder
• Complete folder can now be droppen on the Pickup window
• Added option to move completed packages to the trash
• Lots of small improvements

The configuration helper will help you set your browser to open EMP files in Pickup immediately, or open them yourself with Pickup later. Pickup downloads the selected mp3 files and organizes them in the download location. Opened EMP files can be queued for download immediately and Pickup reliably downloads several files simultaneously. You can choose to download one or all of the mp3s in the package yourself.

A complete Info drawer shows you every detail of the selected item.

Download Pickup now and try it with the great EMusic.com service. Of course Pickup should work with every EMP or RMP file you find on the net.

Back to top