Mac: Sometimes, you just need a quickly accessible timer. Countdown is a Mac app that does just that.

If you're one of the people who's having trouble with Wi-Fi in OS X Yosemite, you're probably pretty sick of toggling the Wi-Fi on and off. OS X Daily points out a better option.

Mac: When an app connects to a network in iOS, you get a handy little indicator in the top bar so you know when apps are connecting to the internet. Loading is a Mac app that brings that same functionality to OS X.

Mac OS X already comes with a solid system monitor, but it's not that great to just glance at your overall system health. For that, we like Monity, which sits in your Notification Center for easy access to a wealth of information.

Mac: Sometimes, you need instant access to a string of data, but you don't want to waste space running an app. TextBar is a small utility that lets you put any text string into your menubar, including shell commands and other scripts.

The dark menu bar in OS X Yosemite is great, but a lot of icons don't play well with the new look. iDownloadBlog shows off how to make your own so they integrate better.

Mac: For whatever reason, Apple's Calendar app doesn't include a menubar app. Itsycal is a tiny little app that adds that exact function and hooks it right into Calendar.

Mac: There are plenty of tools to help you focus with a little ambient sound, whether it's raindrops falling, the buzz of a cafe or something else. Noizio is a little different, because it brings those sounds to the desktop in the form of a menubar app for your Mac.

Mac: Cloud storage services such as Dropbox and Google Drive make it easy to continue what you're working on no matter where you go -- but you do have to actually remember to sync the right files. Quicksand automatically syncs your most recently opened files, so you always have them on hand -- even if you forget.

Mac: Dark Mode is one of the nicer new features of OS X Yosemite, but you have to dive all the way into the System Preferences to enable it. NinjaMode is a simple little app that adds a toggle to your menu bar.

Mac: Sometimes, you just need help focusing on work, and the menubar can get in the way of that. Menu Eclipse 2 dims your menu bar so you can concentrate on what you're doing.

Mac: Iconping is a simple network utility that lets you know at a glance if your connection is slow or dropping. As long as the icon is green, everything is OK. If the icon turns yellow, things are slowing down. If it's red, you're probably disconnected.

Mac: Dropzone 3, the OS X app that boosts your drag-and-drop productivity, has been updated. It now features a "Drop Bar" for temporarily storing files, integration with Imgur for easy photo sharing, and AirDrop support.

Mac: There are so many good GIFs out in the world that it's hard to keep track of them all. If you prefer local storage for your favourites, AirGif organises your collection for you. It also shares it with other uses to create a massive GIF library.

Mac: StorageStatus is a small utility that lives in your Mac's menubar and monitors storage devices -- both internal and external. It will tell you what's active and if there's any unusual activity you ought to be aware of.

Mac: Ever accidentally hit your Mac's media keys trying to control YouTube, Pandora, Soundcloud or another media site in your browser? It doesn't usually work so well, but BeardedSpice is a simple little menubar app that makes it possible.

Mac: Unmounting devices in OS X isn't exactly hard, but it could be more intuitive. Mountain is a tool that gives you control over all your external volumes from the menubar.

Mac: If your quest for new, good music regularly takes you to The Hype Machine, save yourself a browser tab and download Plug. The app is a beautiful Hype Machine client that plays all of the latest and popular tracks, your favourites, supports the Mac's media keys, and keeps useful info in the menu bar.

OS X: Control Center marks a long-awaited featured in iOS, allowing you quick access to stuff you need with just a swipe. Controls+ aims to offer the same conveniences for OS X through just a click of a menubar icon.