One really powerful feature in Mac OS X that many users don’t know about or know how to use is Automator and its easy integration with the Finder. In the Automator, you can create custom workflows that you can then add to the Finder’s contextual menu. The flaw with this integration is that these commands are hidden within a submenu of a submenu in the contextual menu.

PublicSpace, makers of the popular applications MacBreakz, The Big Mean Folder Machine and A Better Finder Attributes, has officially announced version 7.9.9 of their application A Better Finder Rename.

A Better Finder Rename is a tool for people who need to rename files of all different types en masse. Whether it’s a bunch of pictures from a vacation, some MP3s from a disc, whatever, it can be handled and renamed by A Better Finder Rename. The application provides users with a full Cocoa interface, detachable instant preview window, drag and drop installation, file renaming (no matter what the complexity), and Unicode support for international use.

More after the break.

I was all set to be made happy by Jonathan Blum’s latest article, “Mac Automator a no-brainer for Small Biz.” The first paragraph indulged me. In it, Blum talks about the ridiculousness of the Mac vs. PC debate, and leads into his biggest draw to the Mac: Automator. Then, the second paragraph hit like a ship being slammed up on shore by a Tsunami, dashed to pieces on the rocks, all it’s crew members dead. Seriously.

Rather, for my small business money, the single most exciting productivity tool probably lies hidden deep inside some Macs: Automator. This piece of code, which Apple describes as a “personal automation assistant,” is part of the new Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac (starting at $400) suite of office software.

*Spits out drink* What!?

It gets better after the break.