 We all love YouTube videos. We all love Homestar Runner. But we don't love it when Flash ads or other Flash-related junk forces our processors to run hot and leech our precious battery fluids.Flash animations and videos are among the top processor hogs on Mac OS X. A single poorly-designed Flash banner - even in an inactive window or tab - can suck up an entire processor core with its shady mortgage offers. Your 5-hour battery life gets cut in half, your laptop runs hotter, and your legs cook to medium-rare. That's where BashFlash comes into play. BashFlash lets you stop the Flash plug-in dead in its tracks, letting your new-fangled Mac cool down, use less power, and give you more time to do whatever it is you do. Probably blog or tweet or something.  How does it work?In Google Chrome, Firefox 4, and in Safari on 64-bit Macs running Snow Leopard, the Flash plug-in is pushed onto its own process. BashFlash lives as a tiny menu app, monitoring this process and will warn you (by turning red) if Flash is using a relatively significant amount of processor cycles. You can then go to BashFlash's menu to kill the Flash plug-in. Any running Flash content is replaced with the broken plugin icon. Want to get Flash working again? Simply reload the page, or go to a new one. The next time Flash is needed, it'll come back to life. That's hot. Download 
BashFlash 1.2 - 220KNew in 1.2: Support for Google Chrome with built-in Flash Player. Experimental support for Firefox 4 beta. -- BashFlash is freeware. Use it however you'd like, wherever you'd like. Donations are accepted. System Requirements: For Safari: Mac OS X 10.6 or later (Snow Leopard and up) A 64-bit Intel Mac (pretty much everything made from late 2006 and on) Check if your Mac is 64-bit For Chrome: Mac OS X 10.5 or later (Leopard and up) An Intel Mac For Firefox: A recent beta build of Firefox 4. Mac OS X 10.6 or later (Snow Leopard and up) An Intel Mac FAQ: Why only 64-bit and why only Snow Leopard for Safari? Because only 64-bit Safari runs Flash as a standalone process. Any other OS/architecture, and it won't. Can't you make one for Firefox? If you're not afraid of beta software, use Firefox 4. BashFlash works with it (Snow Leopard only, though). What about PowerPC Macs? We need this too! Sorry. Can't run Snow Leopard or Chrome on a PowerPC Mac. I just ran BashFlash, but I don't see it! Check your Menubar. It's by the clock, AirPort menu, Volume thingy, etc. You're a jerk. That's not a question. Why not just run a normal Flash blocker in the first place? That's a good idea too. In fact, I do both. ClickToFlash does a great job of keeping stuff from loading in the first place, but anything you've white-listed or clicked on is still going to load, and there's no way to stop them without closing your windows or tabs...unless you use BashFlash. When and at what CPU% does BashFlash start warning me? BashFlash checks the Flash process's CPU% every 10 seconds. At 30%, the icon turns red. Below that, it's black. If Flash is completely idle or not running at all, the icon's grayed out. You can change the threshold used with the "Warn At" setting in BashFlash's menu. Hey, I really liked VisualHub. Thanks. C'mon. What about Safari on my old Core Duo MacBook? I'd love to support 32-bit Intel Macs, but only the 64-bit Safari does process separation. Maybe Apple will change this in the future? That would be lovely. rdar://problem/7235557 Until then, Google Chrome and Firefox 4 do process separation for your Mac. I'm sure Apple won't mind if you use a competing browser.  DonateEvery time you drain your battery, you bring it 0.2% closer to death's door. That's, like, 25 cents per charge at Apple's going rate of $129 for a replacement battery. Not to mention the toll on your energy bill. And the nuclear coal burned to provide that electricity. In a world without BashFlash, you may end up having to replace your MacBook's battery over its lifetime, since the Flash plug-in is free to suck up your battery's lithiums, ions, and polymers with wanton disregard to your pocketbook :( With judicious use of BashFlash, you might make it to the end of your laptop's natural life without buying a new battery. That's $129 you saved. That's $129 you should donate to me. ...or $5. I guess $5 would be good too. Either way. |