Adobe® Flash® is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash Player is optimized for high performance on mobile screens and designed to take advantage of native device capabilities, enabling richer and more immersive user experiences. – Adobe

How annoying are flash ads? How hard does Flash hit your CPU, fans, and RAM? If you are using a desktop, chances are you don’t have to worry about overheating and jet-turbine fans. However, if you are running Flash on a laptop, you may notice your lap getting a bit hotter, your fans getting a bit louder, and your system overall acting a bit more sluggish than normal. This is Flash.

The problem, or feature as it were, is that once Flash is installed, you cannot choose for which sites you would like it to be enabled. This means that if a web page has ten Flash objects, you end up loading them all. With Flash, it’s usually “either or,” meaning the Flash content is either an advertisement, or a video– and sometimes it’s both!

So what if you could choose only to run those Flash items that you wanted? Better yet, what if you could choose which websites to allow Flash, and block it for the rest? Well I’ve found the solution and I’m wondering why I didn’t search for it sooner.

The solution is called ClickToFlash. It’s a flash-blocking plug-in for the Safari web browser on Mac OS X. It works like a charm in Safari 5. I highly recommend it. No longer am I annoyed by those terribly annoying Flash video advertisements. My MacBook Pro also runs faster, quieter, and cooler now too!

Some of the features ClickToFlash boasts are:

• Block evil Adobe Flash. Flash only when you want it.
• One-click Flash loading. View blocked Flash with just one click.
• Higher quality YouTube. Play videos in QuickTime, not Flash.
• Website Whitelist. Allow Flash on certain websites.
• Lowered CPU usage. Browse the web more quickly.
• Better battery life. Browse the web longer on your laptop.
• Less fan usage and heat. Browse the web quietly and cooly.
• Automatic Updating. Download updates when they’re ready.