The Week in Mac Apps: Tune out distracting noises with Noizio

This week’s roundup of new Mac apps features Noizio, an ambient-noise app to help you stay productive. Plus, check out Fantastical’s new update, and more. Read on!

Solaz Dazen’s $4 CleanDisk ( Mac App Store Link) keeps your hard drive in top-notch shape by freeing up valuable space.

Its scanning algorithm finds and deletes cache files, logs, and other files left over from apps that you have uninstalled—all while working in the background, so it brings minimal disruption to your workday.

Tatsuya Yasunaga’s $16 Cliary ( Mac App Store Link) is a diary app, letting you record and organize the precious moments in your life into a visually appealing journal.

Cliary can pull in photos from your Mac’s photo library, add weather conditions based on your location, and even use a password to keep your journal safe from prying eyes. All of your entries are conveniently stored in iCloud, and can be easily exported in a variety of standard document and image formats.

The latest update to Flexibits’s $50 Fantastical 2 ( Mac App Store Link) adds better integration with your Google and iCloud accounts to help keep your events up-to-date wherever you are.

Fantastical 2 lets you create reminders and jot down important appointments using natural language. It also automatically picks up things like locations and dates and adds them to your calendar entry.

Jury Shortki’s $38 InShort ( Mac App Store Link) uses PERT diagrams to help you stay organized and break down complex problems into simple steps.

The app allows you to track your progress using a variety of well-established project management tools, such as resource allocation, Gantt charts, and even the Get Things Done time management method.

Chris Li’s $8 Maxel ( Mac App Store Link) organizes all of your downloads in one convenient place, where you have full control over their progress—or lack thereof.

You can start a download by just dragging and dropping a link from any webpage into the app. Downloads can be paused and restarted at any time, and the app works alongside your existing browser to handle things like security and authentication.

If you are getting distracted by noisy surroundings, Kyrylo Kovalin’s $5 Noizio ( Mac App Store Link) helps you stay focused with a set of soothing ambient and natural sounds that continuously play in the background.

Noizio features a minimalistic design and can be launched at start up for extra convenience. It also includes an equalizer to create your own mix from 15 available sounds.

Albert Mayer’s $6 SMARTReporter ( Mac App Store Link) monitors your hard drive for signs of potential failure that could lead to loss of data.

The app tests your connected hard disk’s S.M.A.R.T. status for unforeseen problems, checks system kernel logs for I/O errors, and monitors your disk space to warn you when it’s almost full. Additionally, it includes customizable notifications to keep you in the loop at all times, and can generate charts and graphs based on the data it gathers.

With NWD’s Snappy ( Mac App Store Link), you can take quick screenshots of important information or sensitive content and stash them away for future reference.

The app lets you add text to your images, organizes all your files in a handy library that syncs across devices via iCloud, and allows you to share your snapshots, with the option of protecting them with a password or having them self-destruct after a customizable period of time.

With its simple interface, Jesse Grosjean’s $35 TaskPaper 3 ( Mac App Store Link) gives you all the tools you need to create to-do lists with a versatile and focused plain-text editor.

The app can automatically assign projects, tasks, notes, and tags to each list using a unique formatting language, and supports customizable themes and filters for maximum versatility.