This week we look at "Automation on the Mac."

Our featured product this week is Hazel by Noodlesoft. If you like to keep files and folders organized and your desktop clean, then Hazel is for you. You set Hazel (a System Preferences Pane) to watch folders of your choice for any activity - such as files showing up from downloads. Hazel can perform any number of organizing functions in the background by moving the files for you wherever you wish them to be. Hazel does much, much more - all in the name of keeping things tidy and organized for you.

We also spent some time talking about and demonstrating how you can use powerful automation features built right in the OSX operating system --- such as working with Smart Folders, Apple Mail Rules, and Automator. With Automator, you can actually create little programs called "Workflows" that can perform any number of automated actions for you on your Mac--- actions that can control other applications, all in an effort to automate and make your life stress free!! All done in a simple to understand and visual interface --- no knowledge of programming required, because Automator is programming for the typical Mac user!

We also looked briefly at a free Automator-like program called Proxi which also helps you automate operations on your Mac in a very visual and intuitive way ... but has other features that Automator doesn't have.

Additional automation utilities were given Honorable Mention, and you can get more information on all of this week's featured applications by downloading this week's handout from the Downloads Section.