SSPAI Review | Best New Apps to Try This Week

DockSide: Put the Empty Space Around Your Dock to Good Use

Platform: macOS
Keywords: Dock, File Transfer

DockSide is a lightweight productivity utility designed specifically for macOS. It creates a persistent yet unobtrusive “Shelf” beside the Dock, allowing you to drag and drop files, images, links, text, applications, and folders for quick transfer and organization between different apps.

The core purpose of DockSide is file staging and transfer, but unlike tools such as Yoink and Dropover, which mainly function as temporary drop zones, DockSide introduces a “temporary shelf” positioned directly alongside the native macOS Dock. The Dock is already one of the most important areas in a typical macOS workflow, and the space on either side of it often goes unused. By making use of these areas, DockSide eliminates the need for additional windows and avoids interrupting your workflow the way floating panels often do.

The shelf on the left side can be used to store files, linked folders, temporary notes, and more. Files can be quickly accessed through simple drag-and-drop actions. Temporary notes can be created directly within the shelf by typing, pasting, or adding new entries, remaining available there until needed.

For temporarily stored files, DockSide automatically creates a hidden folder inside the Downloads directory and generates copies to prevent accidental deletion. The app also offers a wide range of advanced settings, including support for up to eight shelf sections for organizing different types of content, automatic deletion of notes and files after 30 days, gesture controls for collapsing and expanding the shelf, and navigation between pages.

DockSide can also function as a secondary Dock. Since it supports application icons, you can effectively create another Dock alongside the native macOS Dock.

The shelf on the right side provides additional macOS system capabilities and information. By default, it automatically monitors the contents of the Desktop and Downloads folders, but you can customize it to display the contents of any two locations through the app’s settings. The display area can also be divided proportionally between the selected folders. Beyond file browsing, the right shelf can be configured for media controls and system information. The media view displays and controls currently playing music, with support for Apple Music, Spotify, and more. The information view can display up to eight device metrics, including CPU usage, storage capacity, network activity, and disk usage.

DockSide supports search, keyboard shortcuts, and gesture-based controls. In terms of appearance, you can switch between light and dark modes, enable Liquid Glass effects, customize shelf height, adjust transparency, and more. You can download the app from the DockSide website. It includes a 14-day free trial, after which a license can be purchased for $5.99, covering up to three devices.

Permute 4.0: Simplifying Your Multimedia Workflow

Platform: macOS
Keywords: Multimedia, Format Conversion

Compared with processing multimedia files through complicated FFmpeg parameters, Permute has long been my preferred solution on the Mac. It avoids unnecessary complexity and lets you achieve the desired media format through simple drag-and-drop actions and clearly described output presets.

This practical and easy-to-use multimedia tool has continued to evolve. In late May, Permute received its major 4.0 update. In addition to adopting the new Liquid Glass design language of macOS 26, it also introduces a number of convenient new features.

When you launch Permute 4.0, the first thing you’ll notice is its redesigned user interface. Compared with Permute 3.x, the main window still focuses on its core purpose with a large file-drop area, but the finer UI elements have been fully refreshed to embrace the Liquid Glass aesthetic. After dragging a video file into the window, you’ll see the pre-conversion interface. Opening the output format dropdown reveals two new quick presets: High Quality and Small File, allowing you to choose based on your needs. At the same time, additional source-file handling options have been added, including deleting files directly, moving them to the Trash, or relocating them to a custom folder after conversion.

For video processing, Permute 4.0 introduces an Auto Settings option for MP4 and HEVC presets. This can intelligently configure parameters such as file size optimization or maximum quality. Hardware acceleration is now also supported for ProRes presets.

In terms of format conversion, Permute 4.0 improves its cropping tools. When importing videos or images, the crop interface now includes a pixel ruler. If you import audio files, a waveform view is displayed instead. You can also split files using CUE, EDL, or JSON files, and even create custom chapter-based splits. Additionally, subtitles and audio tracks can be dragged directly onto videos within Permute, allowing you to reorder tracks, assign titles, and edit metadata attributes.

Another interesting feature in Permute 4.0 is the ability to combine images and music into a video. Simply add an image or audio file to the conversion queue, then choose the option to merge the two files and export them as a video. This capability can also be applied to an entire group, enabling batch creation of video outputs from all audio files within that group.

Other updates in Permute 4.0 include color replacement tools, a completely redesigned metadata editor, automatic repair of webcam recordings, and more. Overall, this is a substantial upgrade built upon the foundation of Permute 3.x. Even if you’ve already used Permute 3.x before, the new features introduced in version 4.0 are well worth exploring.

You can download and purchase Permute from its official website for $14.99, or access it through Setapp. Existing Permute 3 users can upgrade to version 4.0 for free, provided they have upgraded their system to macOS 26.x.

Controller for HomeKit: If Siri Can’t Do It, Maybe I Can

Platform: iOS
Keywords: Smart Home, AI, Siri

We can use Siri to control smart home accessories in HomeKit, but only for relatively simple tasks, such as “turn on/off a specific accessory in a specific room” or “set the temperature of a specific accessory in a specific room to a certain number of degrees.” That’s pretty much where Siri reaches its limits—anything more complicated and it starts to struggle.

As for automation, while HomeKit’s underlying framework supports fairly sophisticated configurations, the Home app simplifies much of that functionality and doesn’t expose the full range of capabilities. Apple is expected to unveil a new version of Apple Intelligence built in partnership with Gemini at this month’s WWDC, but some developers in the iOS ecosystem have clearly decided not to wait around. The app featured today, Controller for HomeKit, aims to bypass Siri altogether and build its own AI-powered smart home experience.

When you open Controller for HomeKit, you’ll notice a plus button in the upper-right corner of the main interface. Tap it, and you’ll find a Create with AI option in the creation menu. This feature is divided into three categories: Add Scene, Add Automation, and Add Workflow.

Using AI to create a scene as an example, you can simply type a request into the input field or dictate it using voice recognition. Both Chinese and English are supported. Controller for HomeKit uses AI to interpret your intent and automatically generate the corresponding scene. Once the scene has been created, you can open its details, review the configuration, and tap the Save button in the upper-right corner to confirm it.

Creating automations and workflows with AI follows almost exactly the same process as creating scenes, so there’s little need to repeat the steps. The only thing worth noting is that workflows require Controller Hub to be enabled, which in turn requires a Controller Plus subscription.

After spending some time with it, it’s fair to say that Controller for HomeKit’s AI-powered creation features do an impressive job of understanding user intent and generating the appropriate scenes, automations, or workflows. If you have demanding HomeKit automation needs, Controller for HomeKit is definitely worth considering.

Controller for HomeKit is available as a free download from the App Store. The Essentials subscription costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, while the more advanced Plus subscription is priced at $8.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

Universal Installer: An Elegant, All-in-One App Installer

Platform: Android
Keywords: Sideloading, App Installation, Shizuku

The experience of sideloading apps on Android has become increasingly frustrating in recent years. Beyond the countless restrictions and confirmation dialogs added by heavily customized Android skins, Google itself has tightened app installation permissions. On top of that, there’s an ever-growing collection of package formats—APK, APKS, XAPK, and various website-specific formats from sources like ApkMirror. Finding a single tool that can handle every sideloading scenario has become surprisingly difficult.

Fortunately, there are still plenty of tools that leverage Shizuku to take over Android’s system installer. Universal Installer is one of the most impressive examples I’ve discovered recently.

Although I’ve tried quite a few similar tools, Universal Installer raises the bar through both thoughtful design and powerful functionality. It adopts Material 3 design principles and supports dynamic color theming. Combined with exceptionally smooth transition animations throughout the installation process, it transforms a utility that would normally be “invisible” into something genuinely elegant. Functionality-wise, it doesn’t cut corners either. In addition to supporting formats such as APKS, it can automatically handle split packages and OBB data for large apps and games, eliminating the hassle of manually extracting files.

The most important part of any installer happens after you tap an APK file. In this regard, I believe Universal Installer strikes an excellent balance between practicality and usability. It presents an impressively detailed package information screen—including permissions, version details, and more—and provides advanced options that allow for deeper customization, giving users much more control over the installation process.

Beyond manually installing files, Universal Installer also offers multiple ways to manage and transfer packages. It can directly scan your device storage for installation files, functioning much like a file manager. A built-in lightweight download tool allows you to paste official download links for large games, automatically downloading and installing them afterward. It also supports local network transfers: simply enable the service from the top-right corner of the main screen, and any device on the same network can upload apps directly.

It’s fair to say that Universal Installer opens up virtually every possible channel for acquiring and installing app packages.

Universal Installer doesn’t stop at handling new installations—it also takes care of the apps already on your device. It includes a comprehensive application management toolkit with features such as search and sorting, app information viewing, APK extraction and sharing, and batch uninstallation. When paired with Shizuku, Universal Installer unlocks even more advanced capabilities. For example, its “Installer Source Spoofing” feature can disguise installations as originating from Google Play, helping bypass certain annoying restrictions and warnings—or simply satisfying users with a bit of digital OCD, since “Installed from Unknown Sources” isn’t exactly pleasant to look at. It can also automatically approve permission requests for trusted apps, saving you from manually granting them the first time an app launches.

On the security side, Universal Installer supports biometric authentication for both installation and uninstallation actions. It also integrates with VirusTotal through an API interface. Once you configure your API key, the app can compare package file hashes against VirusTotal before installation, helping you avoid potentially dangerous software.

If you’re still putting up with Android’s default installer, I highly recommend setting up Shizuku and replacing it with Universal Installer. And even if you’re already using a third-party installer, this one is worth trying—you may find it surprisingly impressive. Universal Installer is available as a free download from Google Play, GitHub, F-Droid, and IzzyOnDroid.

AirPlay Server: Turn Your Android Phone into an AirPlay Receiver

Platform: Android
Keywords: AirPlay, Android, Multi-Device Users

Apple’s ecosystem has long been praised for the seamless connectivity and collaboration it provides across devices. In recent years, many Chinese Android manufacturers have taken a different approach, trying to integrate their own devices into the Apple ecosystem as much as possible. AirPlay Server follows a similar idea, allowing Android devices to function as AirPlay receivers capable of receiving both video and audio streams from Apple devices.

Using AirPlay Server is remarkably straightforward. After installing the app, simply tap the Start button on the home screen, and your Android device will become discoverable as an AirPlay receiver. On your Apple device, open Screen Mirroring, search for the corresponding device name, and you can begin mirroring content from your Apple device to Android in real time.

Using my iPhone as an example, following these steps allows the phone’s display to be mirrored directly to an Android device. Once connected, every action performed on the iPhone appears almost instantly on the Android screen. Latency is impressively low, and when audio is playing, the sound is also output through the Android device.

If your setup happens to be an Android tablet paired with an iPhone, this provides a simple solution for viewing iPhone content on a larger screen.

On the Android side, mirrored content is displayed in full-screen mode by default. Pressing the Back button returns you to the app’s main interface, where the mirrored content continues to be shown. If you need to use the Android device while simultaneously monitoring content from the Apple device, you can minimize the stream and display it in a floating window overlay.

Beyond the basics, AirPlay Server also offers customization options for users with specific requirements regarding image quality and frame rate. The app includes a range of common resolution and frame-rate settings, along with built-in decoders optimized for different media formats.

Audio streaming is equally well supported. Music currently playing on an Apple device can be transmitted to the Android device via AirPlay, with album artwork, playback progress, and track information displayed correctly on the Android side. The app also allows you to control playback and switch tracks directly from the Android device.

If AirPlay Server sounds interesting to you, you can download it from F-Droid and give it a try. The app is open source and completely free to use.

Touch Time: A World Clock with Grace and Charm

Platform: iOS
Keywords: World Clock, Design, Beautiful UI

World clocks are hardly a new feature, nor are they something most people think about every day. They come preinstalled on almost every mobile device. But if you regularly use a world clock and find the one built into iOS a little too plain, Touch Time might offer a more elegant experience. Rather than simply telling you what time it is, it blends time with local light conditions and weather, allowing you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of each location and feel closer to the passage of time itself.

Touch Time’s biggest highlight is its UI design. Drawing inspiration from the Liquid Glass aesthetic, it combines dynamic backgrounds that reflect real-time sky colors and weather conditions in different locations. Whether it’s the endless daylight of Oslo’s midnight sun or a rainy afternoon in New York, you can instantly sense the mood of a place from the time list alone. For users who frequently communicate with overseas colleagues, clients, friends, or family members, this approach feels far more intuitive than simply checking time differences. You can also enrich each time card with features such as an analog clock, sun elevation indicator, temperature display, and more. If you find the visual richness distracting, however, you can open the menu in the upper-left corner and disable weather and sky color displays, returning the app to a more minimalist appearance.

Touch Time also adds a timeline slider along the bottom of the app. By dragging the slider left and right—or rotating the dial in the “Clock Face” section—you can easily visualize how different time zones correspond to your local time. If you’re planning an international meeting at 2:00 PM, there’s a good chance you’ll be interrupting your colleague’s sleep in New York, so perhaps remember to budget for some overtime pay.

To improve cross-time-zone coordination, the app includes multi-time-zone alarm and scheduling features. You can create alarms or events directly from any clock card, and the app will automatically calculate time differences and synchronize reminders to your local time. Based on the presets configured under Settings → Calendar, it can also attach city-specific time notes to newly created events, making it easier to share schedules with others. Paid users can additionally define their own availability windows, helping them quickly determine whether participants in different cities are within reasonable working hours when arranging meetings or activities, reducing the need for endless back-and-forth scheduling discussions.

Beyond productivity features, Touch Time also delivers a surprising amount of emotional appeal. You can switch to the globe view from the upper-right corner of the home screen and watch time slowly move across the Earth as sunlight and shadow drift around the planet. Alternatively, in the Clock Face section, you can open the built-in filter camera and share your local scenery with friends elsewhere in the world, complete with global time stamps. Touch Time offers an in-app purchase that permanently unlocks advanced displays, availability windows, and other premium features for RMB 148. Since the purchase does not affect the core world-clock experience, it’s probably best to spend some time with the app first before deciding whether to upgrade.

You can download Touch Time for free from the App Store.