Posted by Shane Becker on
<p>i recently <a href="http://veganstraightedge.com/articles/2004/10/19/1/spirited-away/">blogged here</a> about a clever little app for mac os x called <a href="http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/productivity_tools/spiritedaway.html">SpiritedAway</a>. well, it's been updated to version 0.3. it added a few features that are pretty handy. the ability to exclude certain apps being hidden. it also changes the icon in the menu bar if its active or inactive. he changed the icon from the cute full colour green ghostie to a black monochromatic ghost with big eyes open when active, little beady eyes when inactive.</p>
<p>i can't sing enough praises for this app. a really great example of keeping it simple. designing for one thing and doing that thing really well. i'm glad the trend has moved back away from the <a href="http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/default.jsp">monolithic-do-everything-really</a>-<a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx">poorly-including-crap-i-will-never-EVER-use-suite</a> back toward <a href="http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/">the-small-stay</a>-<a href="http://www.apple.com/ichat/">focused-on-one-task</a>-<a href="http://ranchero.com/marsedit/">but-still-play-</a><a href="http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/">nice-with-others</a> series of apps.</p>
<p><a href="http://drikin.com/">the developer's blog</a> is in a language i don't know. so i can't really tell what is being said about it there, but you can download it from the <a href="http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/productivity_tools/spiritedaway.html">apple mac os x downloads site.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153387492/" title="icon.jpg by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/78/153387492_037cbb727c_o.jpg" alt="icon.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153387463/" title="Spirited_Away_16.png by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/75/153387463_d20293a0f7_o.png" alt="Spirited_Away_16.png"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153387501/" title="prefs.jpg by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/153387501_c70076d146_o.jpg" alt="prefs.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganstraightedge/153387507/" title="Spirited Away 0.3 Menu by veganstraightedge, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/153387507_56248f3026_o.jpg" alt="Spirited Away 0.3 Menu"></a></p>