What's on Your Menu Bar?

The menu bar (or the system tray for Windows/Linux users) is often filled with handy tools and gadgets that can make our daily desktop use very efficient. We asked a couple of our ninjas what kind of tools they had in their menu bar.

Alex Escalona

1. Hangouts Chrome Extension: I’ve been using a Google Voice number for years now. Hangouts replaced Google Voice. This extension let’s me SMS and IM (and call) with all my contacts
2. Google Photos Backup: Auto-backs up images to the Google cloud
3. Google Drive: We use Google drive at work to share the weekly testing doc and our password database, among other docs
4. CrashPlan: Auto-backs up (potentially) unlimited amount of data to my home server, which backs up to the CrashPlan cloud starting at $5/month
5. Dropbox: The Google Drive alternative. I’ve used it for a long time now
6. Mac OS VPN Status Icon: So I can easily connect to the NNI VPN when on an untrusted or public network (say, while working from coffee shops or someone else’s home network)
7. Bluetooth Status: Self-explanatory
8. Mac OS Lock Screen Icon (Keychain Access): This is handy esp. when I’m in public and need to step away from the computer. And yeah, I take my laptop with me to the bathroom when in a public setting. I’m paranoid like that
9. Wi-Fi
10. Volume
11. Battery
12. US Keyboard
13. Time
14. Username
15. Spotlight
16. Tunnelblick: The open-source VPN software as a backup to Mac OS VPN. I use it mainly to connect to my home VPN, which is a backup to the NNI VPN
17. Notification

Mike Matz

1. Paste: clipboard history manager
2. 1Password: password manager
3. BackBlaze: backups
4. Dropbox
5. Little Snitch: network monitor & firewall
6. Airplay control
7. Sharing control
8. Time Machine backups
9. Volume / audio devices
10. Wi-Fi
11. Battery
12. Date & time
13. User
14. Spotlight
15. Notifications

Robin de Bled

1. SIP: color picker
2. smcFanControl: controls your MacBook fan
3. BarTender: organize menu bar items.
4. CPU LED: keep an eye on your CPU load
5. Time Machine: backup software
6. Wi-Fi
7. Battery
8. VPN Connection
9. LightShot fastest way to take a customizable screenshot
10. Mom: Mac on Linux
11. f.lux: adapt your display to the time of day
12. BetterTouchTool: add more gestures to your trackpad and/or mouse
13. Volume
14. Bluetooth
15. User change
16. BarTender Settings

Ryan Shay

1. System Devices & Printers Icon
2. Rescue Time: time tracking app
3. OneDrive: store files online
4. Chrome Background Task
5. Realtek HD: Audio Manager
6. Nvidia Experience Manager
7. Logitech Game Controller Manager
8. TeamViewer: remote control any computer (handy for support)
9. Java Update Scheduler
10. Samsung SSD Magician
11. Skitch: screen shot app
12. Asus Quick Charge
13. Oculus Rift: virtual reality mask!
14. iCloud: store files online
15. Razer Synapse: controls or assign macros to any of your Razer peripherals
16. Logitech Gaming Software
17. Google Drive, store files online
18. Outlook 2016

Matt Bochneak

1. Chrome Notifications
2. join.me: for online product demonstrations
3. Dropbox: online file storage
4. Google Drive: online file storage
5. Plex: Media server
6. Spectacle: move and resize windows
7. Time Machine: backup all the things
8. Bluetooth
9. VPN
10. Wi-Fi
11. Battery: fully charged!
12. Date & Time
13. Spotlight
14. Notifications