If you’re like me, you’ve probably run into the problem of having your Mac’s screen dim while watching a long video. Or while you’re trying to demonstrate something, like software or a cool new data visualization tool.

Caffeine is a freeware software application that solves this problem by placing a tiny coffee cup in the menu bar that you can click on to keep your Mac awake for longer periods of time.

Just click to fill the coffee cup up with coffee, and you’ll be able to sit across the room and watch a DVD without having to touch the keypad every 5 minutes.

App Size

At 240 KB, Caffeine is a super-light app that won’t drag down your ability to run other processes (although if you leave it on, it will obviously drain your battery).

Download Caffeine for Mac

You can download Caffeine Mac App here (link is from Lightware software, Caffeine’s development team).

Turning Caffeine off and On

When you want your Mac to stay awake, simply click on the coffee cup and it will fill with awesome black coffee. And when you want to turn it off, just click the mug again, and the caffeine will disappear, giving your tired computer a much-needed break.

From a usability point of view, this simple on/off system makes Caffeine one of the simplest apps ever (binary sweetness).

I use this handy thing every day, so I figured I should probably let others know about it. Enjoy with a cup of real coffee.

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Amber Case is a Cyborg Anthropologist and Tech Blogger from Portland, Oregon. You can follow her online at @caseorganic.