This week’s batch of app updates includes two for working with metadata, a fun obfuscator of text, and my in-house performance test for storage. In each case, they have been given a new app icon that should display well in all versions of macOS from Big Sur to Tahoe. Their windows have been overhauled to accommodate Tahoe’s larger controls, and they have been rebuilt.

Spotlight and metadata

Metamer gives access to 16 of the most useful types of metadata that can be saved as extended attributes to any file, and others that are text-based if you wish. It has a built-in scratchpad you can use to assemble groups of keywords, for instance. It thus gives access to a wide range of metadata that you can use in Spotlight search.

Metamer version 1.6 is now available from here: metamer16
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

To accompany that is Spotcord, which scans folders to build vocabularies of keyword metadata (kMDItemKeywords in Spotlight’s terms), subjects and other specified types. Although it can look for those Spotlight derives from image analysis, experience shows that few are likely to be accessible outside Spotlight itself. This is the first release version of Spotcord, which had lingered in beta far too long.

Spotcord version 1.0 is now available from here: spotcord10
and from its Product Page. It doesn’t use the auto-update mechanism, though.

Text obfuscation

Dystextia is a bit of fun using Unicode lookalike characters to obfuscate Roman text. For example, it will convert this line into
Dуstехtіа іs а bіt оf fun usіng Unісоdе lооkаlіkе сhаrасtеrs tо оbfusсаtе Rоmаn tехt.
or even
Dу𝚜𝚝ех𝚝іа і𝚜 а bі𝚝 о𝚏 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚞𝚜і𝚗ɡ U𝚗ісоⅾе ⅼоо𝚔аⅼі𝚔е с𝚑а𝚛ас𝚝е𝚛𝚜 𝚝о оb𝚏𝚞𝚜са𝚝е Rо𝚖а𝚗 𝚝ех𝚝․
if you prefer. This is easy to reverse using AI, but throws find and spellchecking out of the window.

Dystextia 1.9 is now available from here: dystextia19
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

Storage performance testing

In contrast, today’s last update is the app I use to measure read and write speeds of storage, from internal SSDs to external hard disks and NAS systems. This offers a flexible range of test methods, all based on the same API calls used by apps to ensure they represent real-world performance. This comes with a detailed Help book that explains how testing and data analysis are performed.

Stibium version 1.2 is now available from here: stibium12
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

Coming next

My next batch of updates concludes the straightforward ones, and will bring Dintch, Fintch and Cormorant.

I currently don’t intend updating any of my command tools like blowhole, as they appear to continue working fine in Tahoe.

I have started work on updates to Unhidden, SilentKnight/Skint, and the Viable family of virtualisers. Each needs more work before they will work properly with Tahoe, in the case of SilentKnight/Skint a complete new version designed for future macOS.

I currently don’t intend updating ArchiChect, Taccy, Signet, Scrub, LockRattler or the command tool silnite for Tahoe, as they’ve now been superseded or outdated. If you want one of those reinstated, please let me know.

In this last batch of updates to my apps for the next few weeks, there are four more popular tools, covering Unicode normalisation, appexes, logs, and document versions.

Unicode normalisation

Perhaps the earliest problem with APFS was its lack of Unicode normalisation for file and folder names. This has been a standard way to address accented and other characters that appear identical but have different codes. Apple addressed that, first in providing a normalisation layer on top, then by incorporating it into APFS. However, it can still prove a problem, both within apps and when working with other file systems. Apfelstrudel is a simple app that reveals any potential problems with normalisation, and helps you use the form most appropriate. Version 1.6 has an overhauled interface, and has been rebuilt with a new app icon ready for macOS 26 Tahoe. This version supports macOS from Big Sur onwards.

Apfelstrudel 1.6 is now available from here: apfelstrudel16
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

Appexes

App extensions, or appexes, are numerous in recent versions of macOS, and widely used by apps. This simple utility shows all those managed by PlugInKit, complete with their UUIDs, to help you manage them. Version 1.1 has an overhauled interface, and has been rebuilt with a new app icon ready for macOS 26 Tahoe. This version supports macOS from Sonoma 14.6 onwards.

AppexIndexer 1.1 is now available from here: appexindexer11
and from its Product Page. It doesn’t yet support auto-update.

Logs

Until I started development of LogUI, Ulbow was my preferred app for browsing the Unified log. It has extensive features, with full support for the use of predicates, a chart showing the most frequent sources of log entries, and support for creating and using logarchives, including those from iOS and iPadOS. Unlike LogUI, it uses the log command to obtain log extracts, enabling it to show entry times in nanoseconds. It also displays extracts in Rich Text rather than as a list. Version 1.11 fixes a crashing bug when handling some logarchives, has an overhauled interface, and has been rebuilt with a new app icon ready for macOS 26 Tahoe. This version supports macOS from Big Sur onwards, and is recommended for all users.

Ulbow 1.11 is now available from here: ulbow111
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

Document versions

While Revisionist (also recently updated) provides a suite of tools to work with macOS document versions, Versatility handles one of those tasks with greater ease, creating version archives, and reconstituting them into documents. Simply drop a file onto its window and it will be converted into a folder containing each saved version as a separate document. Drop one of those archive folders onto its window and it will be reconstituted into a document with all those previous versions. This makes it simple to preserve versions when moving documents between volumes or computers, and for archival purposes. Version 1.1 has been rebuilt with a new app icon ready for macOS 26 Tahoe, and supports macOS from Big Sur onwards.

Versatility 1.1 is now available from here: versatility11
from its Product Page, and via its auto-update mechanism.

Next updates

Most of my other apps that haven’t yet been updated for Tahoe should still run perfectly well, although their app icons won’t appear the same as before. I’m now turning my attention to the successor to SilentKnight and Skint, and my virtualisers Viable, ViableS, Vimy and Liviable. Once I’m done with those, I’ll return and complete my other apps.

Enjoy!