Mind mapping on your Mac (Leopard only). Expands beyond the canvas (for bigger brains?). Works with QuickLook, Spotlight, and iChat Theater (Intel Macs only). MindNode Pro adds Reconnecting, Folding, Link Support, and other goodies.

MindNode is a free and very easy to use mindmapping application. It was created with the user in mind and features a very simple interface for quickly creating visual appealing mind maps.

9WR - MindNode: Intuitive mind mapper with easy node creation, keyboard support.

Itty bitty update of the major update of the classic multiple clipboard utility. Not only stores multiple clips in the clipboard, but clips are editable, archived for future use, multiple view capable. We prefer PTH Pasteboard, though CopyPaste is very good.

Never lose a clip again—every copy is saved and available in a clip browser. Edit any clip instantly with the handy built in word processor. Create archives to keep any important clips you want to save and use later.

9WR - CopyPaste Pro: Stores multiple clips, edits, archives, accessible history, multiple views.

Use Chax to add a bunch of cool features to Apple’s iChat that Apple chose not to give you. Growl notification, activity log, auto-accept file transfers, AV chats, and screen sharing, and more.

Chax is a collection of minor modifications and additions that make using Apple’s iChat more enjoyable.

9WR - Chax: iChat add-on features—unified contacts, Growl notices, log viewer.

The Mac’s most popular, probably the best, most feature laden, and now free, RSS reader. Handles HTML archives, integrates with Spotlight, iCal, emails web page, tabs, tabs, more tabs, as well as Instapaper support, and Twitter search. Caveat emptor: newest version syncs with Google Reader, and drops sync with NewsGator and MobileMe at the end of August. Bummers.

NetNewsWire has a familiar three-paned interface and can fetch and display news from thousands of different websites and weblogs.

9WR - NetNewsWire: RSS newsreader, tabbed browser, three-pane interface, HTML archive, integration.

Excellent Mac utility that monitors all files installed by other Mac applications and utilities and smart deletes via drag and drop. Highly recommended if you try out many different Mac applications and utilities and want to declutterize your Mac. Great utility but use with care.

Uninstall, archive, backup and analysis… CleanApp analyzes, archives and removes applications and on your Mac, complete with all relevant files.

9WR - CleanApp: Tracks installed files, uninstalls, archives, removes application, utility files.

Latest of the many (and frequent; every couple of weeks) updates to Hamrick’s popular scanner tool which works on just under a gazillion scanners, give or take a few. A must-have if you scan.

VueScan is a powerful, easy to use program that works with 750 flatbed and film scanners, on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

9WR - VueScan: Scanner software with many features, works on nearly everything.

Scheduler, task manager, project manager, email manager, calendar manager, contact manager, overall business organizer. Excellent, though Daylite users need training.

Daylite keeps everything one click away—contacts, projects, opportunities, appointments, tasks, and more.

9WR - Daylite: Complex contact management system for projects, tasks, calendars, people.

Lean, clean, snippet machine to store information on your Mac. Elegant layout, simple to master. Grab and save notes, serial numbers, photos, anything in a structured free form database (contradictory, but it works).

Caboodle provides a single place to store, organize, and find those little pieces of information that you might have previously stored in Stickies or obscurely-named text files strewn over your desktop.

9WR - Caboodle: Stores information in unique database, both structured, free form.

The best password manager for Mac users, now at version 3.0 (prepare to pay up again). Works with all major Mac browsers; uses OS X’s keychain or a 1Password keychain. Easy to use, handles multiple login ID’s and passwords with ease. An iPhone version is available.

Have you ever forgotten a password? 1Password keeps track of all web passwords, automates sign-in, guards from identity theft.

9WR - 1Password: Essential for password management, extra security,  easy, automated log-in.

Poor name, weak official description of an indispensable Mac utility. One of our ‘must haves’ for years. Elegant solution to renaming multiple files. Lots of multiple files. Many features. Needs to rename itself.

A Better Finder Rename allows users to quickly rename multiple files. This powerful, yet easy-to-use utility transforms the often tedious and time-consuming task of renaming multiple files into a simple matter of seconds.

9WR - A Better Finder Rename: Context menu utility renames multiple files with few clicks.

Yes, another Mac browser to try, this one developed using Cocoa, Objective-C, and WebKit. Flock does browser social networking angle, Sunrise aims a few features towards developers, otherwise it’s Safari under the hood.

Sunrise is the open-source web browser that (is) based on (the) WebKit framework for Mac. It is light and fast.

9WR - Sunrise: WebKit, visual bookmarks, multiple search engines, thumbnails, window fader.

Handy PDF utility recovers lost passwords, unlocks PDFs, locks PDFs, protects PDF documents from unauthorized access, printing.

PDFKey Pro lets you protect your PDFs in a blink. You can set a password to view the file and a password to restrict printing and copy&pasting of your PDFs. The files created by PDFKey Pro will be identical to the originals and you will be able to open them in any PDF viewer.

9WR - PDFKey Pro: Recovers lost passwords, locks, unlocks PDFs, and restricts access.

Menu Bar utility for your Mac which creates reminders via email or text message. Always available, always on, always handy. In depth review here.

Create quick, simple alert, email and SMS Text Message (mobile phone) reminders straight from your menu bar. Quickly create a reminder using the system-wide menu that can be accessed from any application.

9WR - MenuMinder: Mac Menu Bar utility sends email and text message reminders.

Mini update of the major update of the rather clever utility for people on the move. Literally. Plans routes with maps, graphs, locations, and calculates distance. Check the ancient Mac360 review. Watch runner and hiker routes in Google Earth. Includes diary, and MobileMe export.

TrailRunner is a route planning software for all kinds of long distance sports like running, biking, hiking, inline-skating, skiing and more.

9WR - Trail Runner: Route planning for runners, bikers; maps, diary, exercise plan.

Everyone wants to manage your money these days. MoneyWell takes a different approach. Think digital envelopes. Think buckets. Lots of easy access reports, schedules.

Powerful personal finance organization and analysis tools in a simple, single-screen solution. Without running complex reports or having to trudge through six levels of pie charts, you’ll know immediately if your spending is on track.

9WR - MoneyWell: Gentle learning curve, comprehensive ‘envelope’ budget management, one-click reports.

Soothing background of melodic tones; digital wind chimes; iTunes-like interface for mood chimes with bells, crystals, violins, and nature sounds. Quirky and cool at the same time.

SonicMood creates a soothing background of melodic tones… polyphonic sounds with stimulating harmonies… to have a relaxing effect.

9WR - SonicMood: Beautiful wind chimes, mood chimes, nature sounds, sensual harmonies.

Another open source BitTorrent utility for peer-to-peer file transfers, a common euphemism for stealing files over the internet.

Transmission has been built from the ground up to be a lightweight, yet powerful BitTorrent client. Its simple, intuitive interface is designed to integrate tightly with whatever computing environment you choose to use. Transmission strikes a balance between providing useful functionality without feature bloat. Furthermore, it is free for anyone to use or modify.

9WR - Transmission: BitTorrent utility, queue, throttle torrents, Growl support, Dock badge.

Because you can never have enough speed, there’s Speed Download. Great interface to Mac utility which is four utilities in one. Download manager, FTP client, file sharing utility with encryption, and a .Mac/iDisk/WebDAV connectivity utility. A lite version is also available.

Faster and more secure, more features, easier to use and sporting a new look, this latest Speed Download release sets a new standard for download manager innovation, and is designed to be your central, unified hub for almost all the downloading and file transfer activities you do online.

9WR - Speed Download: Ultimate download utility combines FTP, auto-resuming, encryption, .Mac/iDisk/WebDAV capability.

Great value for web site or CD photo album creation. Clumsy Java interface, but point and click simplicity, loaded with options. Many different and sometimes attractive ‘skins’ available. None better at this price. Free.

Make website albums of your digital photographs. With JAlbum, no extra software is needed to view the albums, just your web browser. Unlike “server side” album scripts, JAlbum albums can be served from a plain web server without scripting support. You can also share your albums on CD-ROM.

9WR - JAlbum: Create website, CD photo albums, multiple skins, point, click.

Mini update for the popular Open Source, OpenOffice, Microsoft Office for the rest of us. If you must have an office suite on your Mac and cannot afford Microsoft’s Office or Apple’s iWork, this is one to get. Big, kinda klunky, often compatible, somewhat slow, very loaded with features, very free, but now competing against the very good OpenOffice 3.0.

A fully-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, and database programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

9WR - NeoOffice: Open Source office suite (free), word processor, spreadsheet, database.

Ken Humbard’s delightfully useful recipe organizer which features an online library of recipes from users, a full screen view, and a wine and spirits manager. An older, though detailed review.

An easy to use recipe management app focused on four aspects of recipes. Organizing, Sharing, Cooking & Shopping.

9WR - YummySoup: Recipe organizer with online recipe library, wine, spirits manager.

Free and simple financial software for Mac, Windows, Linux, which uses Java. It’s not pretty, but works very well as a basic utility for budgets, expenses, reports.

Buddi is a personal finance and budgeting program, aimed at those who have little or no financial background. In making this software, I have attempted to make things as simple as possible, while still retaining enough functions to satisfy most home users.

9WR - Buddi: Simple, free personal finance utility for budgets, expenses, reports.

Things is the remarkably attractive, useful, and very capable task manager with expanded project management capability. Reduces complex project and task management to simple, enjoyable process. Highly recommended. Syncs with iPhone version.

Things is task management solution that helps to organize your tasks in an elegant and intuitive way. Things combines powerful features with simplicity through the use of tags and its intelligent filter bar. A Leopard style source list allows for quick and easy focusing. Together with a beautiful user interface, Things aims at the seemingly impossible: making task management both easy and fun.

9WR - Things: Task, project manager, excellent user interface, many handy features.

If you like calculators, you’ll like PCalc. It’s everything that Mac OS X’s calculator is not.

A fully featured scientific calculator with support for hexadecimal, octal and binary calculations, as well as an RPN mode, parentheses, programmable functions, and an extensive set of unit conversions.

9WR - PCalc: Scientific calculator; RPN, programmable, hex, octal, binary calculations; iPhone, too.