Ast-Ware Arts

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News & Press

Announcements and press releases from Ast-Ware Arts.

Press Releases

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Press Release · October 5, 2026

Rosetta Radar 1.40 Finds the Intel Code Hiding Inside Your Mac Apps

The free Mac utility now checks plug-ins and helpers inside your apps, scans much faster, and exports exactly the list you need.

The Clock Is Still Ticking on Rosetta 2

The deadline hasn’t moved. macOS 27, released last month, no longer includes general-purpose Rosetta 2; launching an Intel-based app now prompts you to download a limited Rosetta component. With macOS 28, expected in September 2027, Rosetta will be cut back to a small subset for certain older games, and most Intel-based apps will stop launching.

“A Universal app can still break if one of its plug-ins is Intel-only, and almost no one checks for that,” said Mark Astmann, developer of Rosetta Radar. “Version 1.40 finds those hidden pieces too, so you’re not caught off guard when Rosetta goes away.”

What’s New Since Launch

  • Plug-ins & helpers check: Rosetta Radar finds Intel-only audio and video plug-ins, drivers, background items and helper programs inside your apps. It flags any native app that still contains them and gives each one a quick link to search for an Apple Silicon version.
  • Much faster scans: App inspection now runs in parallel across all of your Mac’s performance cores. On an M1 MacBook Pro with 307 apps and 36 Intel-only plug-ins and helpers, a scan took 34 seconds offline, or 42 seconds with the online lookup turned on. Times vary with your Mac’s speed and how many apps you have installed.
  • Size and Signing columns: See each app’s size on disk and how it’s code-signed, read entirely offline.
  • Smarter external scanning: Scan whole drives or just the folders you choose, across several drives. A Stop scan button finishes early and still builds the report from what’s been found so far. Apps on backup and installer drives get their own section, so they don’t inflate your totals.
  • Export just what you need: Filter the report or click a tile, then use Print / Save as PDF or the new Save as CSV button to export only the apps currently on screen.
  • A full online manual with current screenshots and a contents pane that jumps straight to any topic.

These join the features users already rely on: plain-language descriptions of about 6,000 common apps from a built-in offline library, a Source column showing each app’s developer, app names that link to the developer’s website, and a clean HTML report and CSV spreadsheet saved to your Desktop.

Still Free. Still Private.

Rosetta Radar is completely free, with no trial, no subscription and no sign-up. We don’t even ask for your email address. It runs fully offline by default. An optional online lookup sends only the names of unrecognized apps, nothing else.

Availability

Rosetta Radar 1.40 is available now as a free download at ast-warearts.com/rosetta-radar/. A full online manual is at ast-warearts.com/rosetta-radar/manual/.

About Ast-Ware Arts

Ast-Ware Arts, based in Ridgewood, New Jersey, creates practical, privacy-respecting software for Mac users and small organizations.

Media Contact
Mark Astmann · Ast-Ware Arts · Ridgewood, NJ
info@ast-warearts.com · ast-warearts.com/rosetta-radar/
© 2026 Ast-Ware Arts. Rosetta Radar is free to use and share.
Get Rosetta Radar Download this release (PDF) Free · No account · Offline by default
  • ReleasedOct 5, 2026
  • Version1.40
  • PriceFree
  • PlatformmacOS 11+
Press Release · September 23, 2026

Ast-Ware Arts Launches Rosetta Radar, a Free Mac Utility That Finds the Apps You’re About to Lose

Rosetta Radar shows which of your Mac apps depend on Rosetta 2, explains what each one does, and links you to the developer’s site so you can find an update before it’s too late.

The Clock Is Ticking on Rosetta 2

Apple is winding down support for Rosetta 2, the translation layer that lets Intel-based apps run on Apple Silicon Macs. Rosetta 2 doesn’t ship with macOS 27 but still works with it — and it will be removed entirely from macOS 28. When that happens, every Intel-only app on your Mac will simply stop opening.

Apple’s own built-in tools can show you which apps are Intel-based — but that’s all they do. They don’t tell you what the app actually does, and they don’t link you to the developer so you can get an updated version. You’re left with a cryptic list and no roadmap.

Rosetta Radar fills that gap.

What Rosetta Radar Does

Rosetta Radar inspects every application on your Mac — combining the macOS application list with a Spotlight sweep, and optionally scanning external volumes — and sorts each app by architecture: Intel-only, Universal, Apple Silicon, 32-bit, or other. Then it goes beyond Apple’s tools:

  • Instant plain-language descriptions: A built-in library recognizes roughly 6,000 common Mac apps entirely offline (sourced from the Homebrew Cask project, BSD-2-Clause; see the included Third-Party Notices), so most apps are described and linked without any internet lookup.
  • A Source column showing the signing developer when known — Apple, Mac App Store, a named company, or Unidentified.
  • Actionable insights & direct links: Underlined app names link directly to the developer’s website so you can immediately check for an updated version.
  • A clean HTML report and a CSV spreadsheet, saved to your Desktop each run — create both, or just the one you want.
  • Helpful sorting and filtering — click any column heading to sort, filter by developer name, and even copy an app’s folder path with a single click.
  • 100% free & private: Completely free to use and share. It requires no registration and does not even ask for your email address. It runs fully offline by default, ensuring your data stays on your Mac.

Everything runs fully offline by default — no network connections, nothing sent anywhere. An optional online lookup (off by default) can fill in descriptions for apps outside the built-in library, and results are cached locally.

Totally Free. No Strings Attached.

Rosetta Radar is completely free — and Ast-Ware Arts doesn’t even ask for your email address. Download it, run it, and know exactly where you stand.

“Millions of Mac users have Intel-only apps they don’t even know about,” said Mark Astmann of Ast-Ware Arts. “Rosetta Radar gives you the full picture, tells you what each app does, and points you to the developer — all for free, all offline by default.”

Availability

Rosetta Radar for Mac is available now as a free download at ast-warearts.com/rosetta-radar/.

About Ast-Ware Arts

Ast-Ware Arts creates practical, user-friendly software for the Mac community. The company is based in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Media Contact
Mark Astmann · Ast-Ware Arts · Ridgewood, NJ
info@ast-warearts.com · ast-warearts.com/rosetta-radar/
© 2026 Ast-Ware Arts. Rosetta Radar is free to use and share.
Get Rosetta Radar Download this release (PDF) Free · No account · Offline by default
  • ReleasedSep 23, 2026
  • PriceFree
  • PlatformmacOS 11+