Yes, in my case I right clicked on it from the list and selected 'Deny Connections'. Also turn off Check for Updates in the Bartender app itself.
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PSA: Bartender Mac App Under New Ownership, But Lack of Transparency Raises Concerns
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Another thing to point out that others seem to be glossing over, one of the comments on Reddit pointed out that the new company added in a bunch of ad tracking.
This is why folks are saying to stay on Bartender v5.0.48 and then turn off updates and block internet access...
So, the time frame lines up with the release of updates since. Of course Ben has every right to sell his Product to another Company, just as anyone does. It's the new Company that threw in the ad tracking without even announcing that they're the new owners of the app. And I guess they don't have to announce that, either. But just like everyone's posted, due to the Screen Sharing and level of access needed for the app to work to begin with, you place your trust in the Developer, and in this case, adding extra ad tracking is not a good way to win folks' trust. Considering how Ben was about App Privacy and keeping that safe (as in NOT collecting your data like Amplitude is doing), I'd suggest that it's still alright to run v5.0.48 if App Updates are turned off within Bartender and you use an App like Little Snitch to block any Outgoing connections.
This is why folks are saying to stay on Bartender v5.0.48 and then turn off updates and block internet access...
So, the time frame lines up with the release of updates since. Of course Ben has every right to sell his Product to another Company, just as anyone does. It's the new Company that threw in the ad tracking without even announcing that they're the new owners of the app. And I guess they don't have to announce that, either. But just like everyone's posted, due to the Screen Sharing and level of access needed for the app to work to begin with, you place your trust in the Developer, and in this case, adding extra ad tracking is not a good way to win folks' trust. Considering how Ben was about App Privacy and keeping that safe (as in NOT collecting your data like Amplitude is doing), I'd suggest that it's still alright to run v5.0.48 if App Updates are turned off within Bartender and you use an App like Little Snitch to block any Outgoing connections.
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Just curious... what value did you use for the padding? Or, was it not changed from the original?
Not a user/customer/information mine and never will be. It’s now salmon salmon fishing season here on Puget sound. That’s the kind I like-not a phishy obscured application.
Popular Mac app Bartender appears to have been quietly sold approximately two months ago, with neither the prior owner nor the current owner providing customers or potential customers with information on the sale.
The transaction came to light after some Reddit users saw a warning from MacUpdater letting them know that the company behind Bartender had been silently replaced. MacUpdater warned users that updates to the app from version 5.0.52 could be potentially unsafe due to the lack of transparency surrounding the situation.
Bartender's new owners replied to the Reddit thread and confirmed that Bartender had been acquired, but did not explain why customers had not been notified nor why there had been a certificate change without said explanation.
Reddit users asked Bartender's owners for more information on their identity, but there was no response. The Bartender website was updated with information about the certificate change after users began seeing popups asking for new permissions, and while the blog post calls the new certificate request "expected and valid," no background information is provided on the purchase. In the Reddit thread, the owners claim to have posted information about the sale on the website, but that has turned out to be untrue.
At this point, it does not appear that Bartender's new owners plan to inform customers about the change in ownership, but users should be aware that the app has been sold and is no longer being updated by the original developer. The new owner's intentions are not clear, but as Reddit users have pointed out, the situation raises some red flags.
Update: Ben Surtees, the original developer of Bartender, today said that he sold the app to Applause three months ago. There is no other information on the company, and Applause still has not officially commented on the sale.
Article Link: PSA: Bartender Mac App Under New Ownership, But Lack of Transparency Raises Concerns
Leaning in on customer trends and pain points is a good way to focus resources on the right improvements, which the buyers claim is part of their mission. Analytics are not always bad.... but there should be a description of intended use, link to a privacy policy, and a simple choice opt-in or opt-out (where opt-out is the default). Just slipping it in covertly via a software update is lazy, sloppy, and worthy of distrust.
1: what will happen to Bartender if you use got it via Setapp? Is it going to be removed from subscription and the server?
2: Ben should’ve either ceased development of the app and discontinued the app or open sourced it. Selling the app to different company is the WORST decision. That means he didn’t have long term plan on maintaining the app should it become popular and committing to it. App development is time consuming and devs needs to be aware of it, even if it includes quitting your daytime. You have to be committed to it 100%.
2: Ben should’ve either ceased development of the app and discontinued the app or open sourced it. Selling the app to different company is the WORST decision. That means he didn’t have long term plan on maintaining the app should it become popular and committing to it. App development is time consuming and devs needs to be aware of it, even if it includes quitting your daytime. You have to be committed to it 100%.
It doesn't mean that at all. In his post, he essentially said that Bartender has grown bigger than he could continue to support. It doesn't mean that he didn't have a long term plan or that he wasn't "committed to it". I suspect that making it "open source" was an option, but he would have foregone any remuneration for his years of work on Bartender. Selling is was a way for him to realize some value for his work.
I guess it's easy to just sit back and criticize when things change.
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Was just looking at the release notes for the latest version of Bartender...
Ummmmm, no? The Permissions Change is due to the Cert Change and macOS thinking this is a different app.
- Permissions Requests: The app will open the Permission screen again. This signature change is expected & valid. Occasionally, MacOS won’t recognize that you’ve already set Permissions which can be frustrating.
Ummmmm, no? The Permissions Change is due to the Cert Change and macOS thinking this is a different app.
Bartender Developer Explains and Apologizes for Quiet Acquisition - TidBITS
After two days of uproar, the original developer behind the popular Mac menu bar utility Bartender has apologized for not being more upfront about selling the app to a development company.
tidbits.com
My understanding is that hidden bar isn’t maintained and hasn’t been updated in years.
I removed Bartender yesterday and have been giving Ice a try. For my needs, it is working very well.
I have a backup of 5.0.48 from MacUpdater. If you'd like to provide somewhere to upload to I'll get it uploaded.
New version of Bartender is out "officially" announcing the acquisition of the app...
It’s been a couple of years, but Hidden Bar works very well for my needs. What’s your point?
When you say"Sherlocked" are you thinking Apple will replace the function of Bartender with a native alternative, because that's what the term means?
I’ve haven’t tried it myself but I was curious. I’ve seen comments here that it while it does let you hide icons, when it shows them they still overlap the notch. I was wondering if others had seen any problems with that before I install it.
that I don't know. I don't have any displays with a notch
it would take all of five minutes to install and see if it works for you or not and, if not, uninstall it
Yea, but it’s been a long week and I’m just not up for it tonight. Thanks, though.
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We certainly continue to invest in new features and improving the user experience, but our belief is that users don't want (or need) big overhauls on the products that they already love. A guitar tuner doesn't need a massive rebuild every six months!
Doesn't sound like a bright future. They aren't interested in the app itself, just the money they can make from it. Thinking of what happened when MacGourmet was purchased and was then effectively abandoned.
macOS Ventura 13 launched Control Center, which offers 2-3 options for Apple's first party menu bar modules: (1) Show in Menu Bar, (2) Don't Show in Menu Bar, and (3) Show When Active, along with an option to add to Control Center menu bar module.
When and this feature is extended to third party apps, apps like Bartender will more or less become less useful. With the possible security concerns, I suspect many will find Apple's solution to be good enough.
I have downloaded and tried Hidden Bar. All it does is reduce visual clutter, hiding some icons that you might want replaced with blank menubar space. It does nothing to solve the issue of running out of room for icons.
I haven't downloaded Ice, but they have on their roadmap adding the feature to extend the icons below the notch. Once they deliver on that, they will have addressed my only requirement, which is to prevent the notch from hiding icons.
I think this is a bald-faced lie (or just lying to themselves). They buy up other apps and don't have time to improve them in any major way; that has nothing to do with what users want. The apps Applause buys are probably at a dead end; they'll fix bugs and maintain compatibility with OS changes, but not much else.
Does anyone know how to find out what apps Applause owns? I need data to back up my suspicions.