Cool Mac Freeware--SMARTReporter 2.2 (Universal) is Out

SMARTReporter is an application that can warn you of some ATA hard disk failures before they actually happen! It does so by periodically polling the S.M.A.R.T.-status of your hard disk.

S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) is a technology built into most modern hard disks that acts as an "early warning system" for pending drive problems. Because SMARTReporter relies on the S.M.A.R.T. implementation of Mac OS X, it only supports ATA or S-ATA hard disks, if you want S.M.A.R.T. support for your FireWire hard disk, send feedback to Apple. SMARTReporter can notify you of impending hard disk failures by sending e-mails, displaying a warning dialog or executing an application. The current status of your hard disks is always displayed through the customizable menu item.

What's New in Version 2.2:

• Added option to refrain from checking the disks when on battery power
  
• Added option to limit the maximal size of the logfile
  
• Added option to configure the path and name of the logfile
  
• Added a new menu-icon-set named "Grey & Red"
  
• Fixed detection of hard disks in Intel-Macs if an additional hard disk is connected to the optical drive bay
  
• Fixed French translation again
  
• Improved User Interface by splitting it into three tabs
  
• Improved folder icon for the SMARTReporter folder (thanks to merv)
  
• Improved visual display of the disk-checking-interval to make it more clear that it is editable
  
• Improved detection of the IP-address
  
• Modified default text of the "test-e-mail" so it can't be confused with a real "disk-failure-notification e-mail"
  
• Expanded the FAQ

We have used this utility for years, fortunately without a hard drive failure. SMARTReporter 2.2 is available free as a download via MacUpdate.com. [Dana Baggett]