File launchers -- programs that make it easy to launch applications or utilities from a few clicks on the keyboard -- are increasingly common Mac utilities. Although I don't personally use a separate launch utility (I use OS X's Spotlight), others here at TUAW have expressed their devotion to Quicksilver in the past. TUAW readers and bloggers have also expressed their love for Objective Development's LaunchBar. The company is furthering development of that application, and has recently announced the release of the beta version of LaunchBar 5.

This version of LaunchBar boasts a number of improvements, including a new application icon designed by Bonsai Studio, which is known for designing themes for RealMac Software's RapidWeaver.

Some of the featured improvements to LaunchBar 5 include:

• Clipboard: A clipboard history has been added, as well as adding items onto the clipboard without overwriting what is already on there.
• Quick Look and iCal support
• An improved calculator based on the Unix 'bc' tool, with the ability to be assigned to a keyboard shortcut.
• LaunchBar is now scriptable via AppleScript.
• Firefox 3 support, German localization, automatic software, and more.

LaunchBar 5 is not available for purchase yet, but you can download and enjoy and the beta until January 15, 2009. Single seat licenses will be available for € 24 (around $30), € 39 (around $50) and upgrades from previous versions will be available starting at € 9 (around $11). A license key for those who want to try out LaunchBar 4 during this beta period is also available. You need to be running OS X 10.4 or higher to use LaunchBar 5.

[via Macworld]

Julius Eckert has made splashes at TUAW before, namely for his Bezel HUD and Showcase interfaces for Quicksilver. Now he's released a beta of his much-anticipated Silverflow interface (inspired by designer Jono). The Cover Flow thing may be played out for some, but I'm finding this interface to be both elegant and useful.

I'll admit that I've gone from a die-hard user to watching Quicksilver from the sidelines, mostly due to crashes I was experiencing with it since upgrading to Leopard. I'll also admit that I had high hopes for further development when the developers made it open source and have been a little disappointed. But Silverflow has rekindled my interest and after loading Quicksilver back up to try it out, I quickly remembered all of the extra reasons I had for preferring it to Spotlight. Whether you're a current Quicksilver user or you're in my boat as a previously rabid fan, this beta is worth checking out. Do note, though, that it is a beta and has some missing functionality and known (and possibly unknown) issues. I'm pretty enamored, nonetheless.

1. iGTD
2. Kinkless GTD
3. OmniFocus
4. Things
5. Midnight Inbox

I've been looking for something like this since Leopard was released. As you can see from the video above, Juius Eckert (whose Showcase Quicksilver interface we covered previously) has now released a Bezel HUD interface for Quicksilver that perfectly integrates with Leopard. It basically has the same functionality as the built-in Bezel interface but with the Quick Look style HUD characteristic of Leopard. If you've been wanting to give Quicksilver a Leopard facelift this is it.

Thanks, Kurt!

A reader tipped us off to this very cool new interface for Quicksilver called Showcase from Julius Eckert. It's basically pure eye-candy, but what eye-candy it is! Taking its cue from Cover Flow it leverages Leopards Core Animation technologies to, er, showcase Leopard's graphical goodness. While I'm not entirely sure it's practical in the long run, Showcase is definitely a fun addition to Quicksilver in Leopard.

Thanks panpot!

DTerm is a utility just released by Decimus Software Inc. It's a Leopard-only app that provides a hotkey-triggered HUD which allows shell commands to be run from anywhere in OS X. In case you're wondering why, just imagine what less window switching and screen clutter could mean for productivity on jobs that require both Finder and Terminal. Yes, you can do a lot with Quicksilver, but DTerm provides bash name completion with a dropdown, context sensitivity to your current path and full output with clipboard features. You can also type ?-? in the HUD to run the command in the Terminal, which will open up to your current path.

DTerm is all about reducing effort, really. The process of running a command in the current directory is reduced to just a few keystrokes and there's no need to grab the mouse or switch to another application. Better Path Finder integration would be nice, but the developers tell me that it's Path Finder's own use of the Accessibility system that prevents that right now.

DTerm requires Leopard and has a free demo (up to 50 commands) after which the program costs $20. Visit the DTerm page for the download and more info, including a speedy video that will satisfy your secret bash-voyeurism fetish and won't waste much of your time.