PlugTalk: macOS Menu Bar App Plays Custom Sounds for USB Plug/Unplug Events
By
Thành Đạt Nguyễn
Tired, dry, slightly forgotten on the back of the tray.
Summary
PlugTalk is a macOS menu bar app that plays custom sounds whenever USB or Thunderbolt devices are plugged or unplugged. It includes 18 sound packs (retro arcade, modern UI clicks, cute noises) and supports custom MP3s. Beyond audio feedback, it functions as a live USB diagnostic tool showing speed, power draw, and storage usage per device, with hub-aware grouping, per-device mute/rename, and a connection log. Built natively in Swift for Apple Silicon (macOS 14+), it uses IOKit event-driven architecture for 0% idle CPU usage. Priced at $6.99 one-time with a free 7-day trial.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledPlugTalk was born from a real annoyance: my cat keeps pulling USB cables out, and I never noticed until things stopped working.
A small menu bar app that plays a custom sound every time something is plugged or unplugged via USB or Thunderbolt.
18 sound packs (retro arcade, modern UI clicks, weird cute noises) plus your own MP3s.
Also doubles as a live USB diagnostic: speed and power badges per device, 8-segment storage usage bars, per-device mute/rename, hub-aware grouping.
Native Swift, Apple Silicon only (macOS 14+). IOKit event-driven, so idle CPU is 0%.
You might also wanna read
FartScrollLid: macOS App Plays Fart Sounds Based on MacBook Lid Movement
FartScrollLid is a humorous macOS application that plays fart sounds when users open and close their MacBook lid. The app uses the laptop's
github.com·9mo ago
WhatCable: A macOS menu bar app that identifies USB-C cable capabilities in plain English
WhatCable is a free, open-source macOS menu bar app that identifies USB-C cable capabilities in plain English. It reads data from macOS's IO
GitHub·1mo ago
ExtraBar: macOS Menu Bar Customization App for Shortcuts and Quick Actions
ExtraBar is a macOS menu bar customization app that allows users to add shortcuts, quick actions, and deep links to their menu bar without r
extrabar.app·4mo ago
MacBook App Converts Lid Movements into Real-Time Synthesized Sounds
A software application called 'Crack' that transforms MacBook lid movements into synthesized sounds in real-time. The app reads the built-in
Building MacThrottle: A macOS App to Detect Thermal Throttling
A developer shares their journey building MacThrottle, a macOS menu bar app that detects when a Mac is thermal throttling. The project was i
stanislas.blog·5mo ago