Many modern Mac OS X apps automatically check for updates and update, but for those who want to always use the latest version, managing apps that don't can be a hassle. While there are options for checking updates, such as VersionTracker and the desktop application LogicielMac Update, both seem trivial compared to the combo we'll introduce today.

iusethis.com #

iuserthis.com is a social networking site where you can register and share the Mac OS X apps you use.

iusethis_top

After signing up for the site, you can use the app imakeprofile to automatically scan the apps installed on your Mac and register your most used apps on iusethis.com. If the app you use isn't registered, you can add it yourself.

The service retrieves the latest version information for registered apps, allowing you to check whether updates are available. You can also check reviews and see who is using the app. There's even a Twitter-like Follow feature, which acts as a simple social networking site, so you can keep track of other people's app usage.

By the way, the app I use looks like this:

iusethis_icon

There's also a Facebook app, so you can easily show off your Facebook presence. I'm sure it will also support OpenSocial in the future.

AppFresh

AppFresh is a software update tool that works in conjunction with iusethis.com. It automatically checks the iusethis.com database for the latest updates and notifies you of any available updates. You can download and install them all at once, or just download them. It supports Growl, so you'll be notified when the download or installation is complete.

summary #

AppFresh/usethis.com is the ultimate combo, providing comprehensive updates on a wide range of applications by using the collective intelligence of users gathered through the joy of social media to solve the tedious tasks of app developers and site administrators.

*By the way, to check for automatic app updates, a protocol called AppCast is often used, which places the app's resource URL in an RSS2.0 enclosure.