14 DAY TRIAL // Ultimate Music Software has released a simple, but quite useful piece of Mac software aimed at writers. NameGenr8er can generate as many as 500 different names instantly, and also lets you set the level of obscurity the resulted names have.
Although described as "a name generator application for creative writers who use US census data to generate lists of male and female names of varying obscurity," the application isn't necessarily a writer's tool only. It can also work as a password generator, especially if you need letter-only passwords. As passwords, the names are also easier to remember, should you set a low level of obscurity.
Interestingly, NameGenr8er weighs in at exactly 500 kilobytes, while it can generate a maximum 500 names at a time, male and female. Here's an example of ten male and ten female names which I've just generated on a low level of obscurity.
Male: Ross Claywell, Terrance Rudolf, Marion Barriere, Perry Trevizo, Ross Uyehara, Alberto Patman, Dave Bergey, Kurt Benzing, Darren Vinzant, Armando Vivas.
Female: Louella Oakland, Lesa Marshell, Eleanore Buckle, Sasha Holscher, Octavia Conforti, Cortney Carrel, Alfreda Sherard, Alyson Portman, Destiny Bremner, Jacquline Woerner.
Ever notice how many free Mac apps are aimed at writers? Makes you wonder, are Mac users snobs or something? They must be, since most writers, designers, scientists, painters, photographers, musicians (and so on), seem to be doing everything better on a Mac. Whether it's true or not, here's the 500K NameGenr8er app from Ultimate Music Software. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or later and is a Universal Binary, which means it works natively on both Intel-based Macs, and PowerPC machines.
One-developer, Spencer Seidel, is behind Ultimate Music Software. The "computer junkie" has always been interested in "applying innovative software techniques to enhance [his] playing." He has also developed three apps "for the practicing guitarist," which you can check out on his web site, here.