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ControlPlane for Mac

By Dustin Rue Free Editors' Rating

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff Apr 21, 2013

Users may want the ability to have their system automatically change settings after certain actions. ControlPlane for Mac performs certain automatic functions well, but its confusing interface will make it useful for only a few users.

Installation occurred quickly over a high-speed connection, and setup did not require any user interaction. No technical support is available and ControlPlane for Mac's interface appears dated. No instructions exist, which is a problem for most users due to its complexity. Neither the menu nor the program descriptions make it easy to figure out its purpose. A row of buttons along the top bar indicates the different submenus, which allow the user to select situations and rules that apply to them. As an example, the program can be set to change program settings when things like headphones are plugged in or unplugged, among many other scenerios. While it's a capable program, the choices and options are almost impossible to identify for all but the most advanced users, making the program less useful for most. However, setting up simple automations did work well during testing.

Despite being feature rich, ControlPlane for Mac's confusing display and lack of support make it difficult to recommend, although those advanced users looking for automation may find it useful.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 1.3.12

This release mostly contains some small code optimizations but does include some fixes for the IP evidence source as well as the Bonjour evidence source. New in this release are the prevent display sleep action and "open and hide" application action. The icons have also been refreshed by a contributor.

General

Release April 5, 2013
Date Added April 5, 2013
Version 1.3.12

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Macintosh, Mac OS X 10.7, Mac OS X 10.8
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 679
Downloads Last Week 0
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Developer's Description

ControlPlane refers to a similarly named method of locating a cell phone based on the radio signal delay of the closest cell-phone towers. Using control plane the general location of a cell phone user can be triangulated. ControlPlane supports multiple contexts where a context is defined as a location or activity you are performing. Using evidence sources you can create a set of rules that tell ControlPlane what context to apply to your environment. When ControlPlane enters or leaves a context a set of Actions are performed.

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