SpeedManiac

Shareware; $29.95

Current Version: 1.7.1 (December 19, 2006)

Like Muffin, above, SpeedManiac is a World Wide Web "filtering system" that acts as a proxy server to filter out content to your own specifications. However, it's not written in Java; it's a native Mac OS X application that is much easier to set up and use. While it cannot filter the variety of things that Muffin can, it is capable of filtering graphics, selected sites, and Flash animations, which is good enough for mere mortals who might not have the time to master Muffin.

In order to use SpeedManiac, you'll have to configure your Web browser's proxy settings (dig around your browser's preferences to find this) to point to the program so that it can intervene between you and the Web (which is exactly what a proxy server does). Here's how you do that:

• Open the System Preferences.
• Click on the Network icon, select your usual connection method.
• Click on lock if required, and provide your password so that you can edit the settings here.
• Click on the Proxies tab.
• Check the box for HTTP Proxy, enter 127.0.0.1, enter 1080 for port.
• Click on the Apply Now button.

Version 1.7.1 adds/changes the following:

• If SmartCrashReports from Unsanity is available, register with it and use to report any crashes.
• Removed our favorite Shareware sites from the block ad list.
• If a connection fails, retry at least one more time.

SpeedManiac - which is written by Ricardo Batista, celebrated author of the Extensions Manager for the "Classic" Mac OS - is shareware, and works as a trial version for 15 days.