Free OS X menubar items
Free MAC OS X menubar items
access web services
Amua:Control Last.fm radio streams; an alternative to the official player.
BloglinesMenu:Display the number of unread items in your Bloglines subscriptions.
Delibar:Quickly access your del.icio.us bookmarks.
DiggUpdate:View a drop-down list of front page stories on Digg.
dotMac Menu:Quickly access parts of your .Mac account and iDisk.
FMenu:Display Facebook notifications and quickly access parts of the site.
Gmail Notifier:Display the number of unread messages in your Gmail inbox.
iScrobbler:Automatically send recent iTunes track information to Last.fm.
MacBiff:Display if (and in which folders) your IMAP server has new mail.
MailCountX:Display the number of unread messages in Apple Mail.
MailTicker:Automatically see whether POP3 accounts have new messages.
Monocle:Search the web, Spotlight-like, using various engines.
MUMenu:View a list of new software on MacUpdate (checked periodically).
NetD:Look up word translations between English, Japanese, and Korean.
Reader Notifier:Display the recent unread items in your Google Reader account.
RSS Menu:Be notified of new entries in RSS and Atom feeds.
Trackerling:Quickly search for software updates on VersionTracker.
wStock:Display a scrolling stock ticker in your menubar.
YMail:Check whether your Yahoo Mail inbox has new messages.
launch things
HimmelBar:Launch applications, organized by folder.
TigerLaunch:Launch selected applications (automatically adds new ones).
manage information
Check Off:Make simple to-do lists and check them off.
ClipboardSharing:Share clipboards across your local network.
Hallon:Create bookmarks (with notes and due dates) in several applications.
Jumpcut:Save and access your clipboard history.
Library Books:Display the list of books you have checked out from your library.
URLwell:Easily save and access URLs from a drop-down list.
time and weather
Alarm Clock:Set alarms (with optional music), timers, and stopwatches.
Cosmic Debris:Display the probability of an Aurora Borealis event in your area.
Countdown Clock:Display the amount of time remaining until a point in the future.
FuzzyClock:Display the current time in a “fuzzy”, idiomatic style.
JetClock:Display the current time in four different cities around the world.
Meteo:Display customizable weather forecasts for United States cities.
QuakeBar:List recent earthquakes around the world.
TinyAlarm:Set a simple alarm clock for the near future.
WeatherBug Lite:Display the current local temperature and any weather alerts.
interface helpers
Caffeine:Stop your Mac from going to sleep or displaying the screensaver.
CoconutWiFi:Indicate the existence of any open wireless networks in range.
Ejector:Eject any or all disks (iPod, CD, USB drive, .dmg file, etc.).
IC-Switch:Change your default email, FTP, news, RSS, and web apps.
iDiskMenu:Mount and unmount iDisk, WebDAV, and FTP servers.
Lab Tick:Control your backlit keyboard with a slider.
MainMenu:Run a variety of maintenance tasks from your menubar.
ProcessWizard:Control the priority of each currently running process.
Script Menu:Run Applescripts from a drop-down list.
SharingMenu:Access and modify your Sharing preferences.
SoundSource:Switch between audio input and output devices.
SpiritedAway:Automatically hide applications after a period of inactivity.
SSHKeychain:Manage your SSH keys (integrates with Keychain) and forward ports.
iTunes
ByteController:Control iTunes with customizable buttons and hotkeys.
iTunes Doodad:Basic drop-down iTunes controller.
Menuet:Control iTunes, rate songs, display artwork, submit tracks to Last.fm, etc.
watch your system
Cee Pee You:Display CPU load as a percentage in your menubar.
IPMenu:View your current internal and external IP addresses.
MemoryCell:Display how much memory the current application is using.
MenuMeters:Monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network statistics.
Shh:Execute and display user-specified shell commands.
SlimBatteryMonitor:Monitor battery power in a variety of styles.
SMARTReporter:Display the “health” status of your hard drive.
Temperature Monitor:Display your current processor temperature, where possible.
UptimeInMenuBar:Display the amount of time since you booted your computer.
other stuff
Deviant:Link your desktop to any folder, effectively switching the items on it.
DropCopy:Easily send files across a LAN by dragging and dropping.
Menulator:Calculate a variety of things from your menubar.
Mp3Bar:Play MP3s (light CPU load, unlike iTunes).
Pinki:Easily create thumbnail icons for image files.
SkypeMenuX:View and change your Skype user status, launch/quit Skype, and more.