Code529 has announced SideFolders 1.5, an update to its file management utility for Mac OS X (10.6 and higher). It’s available for US$4.99 at the Mac App Store in the Utilities category. A 14-day trial version is available on the SideFolders website (http://code529.com/sidefolders.html).

SideFolders hides itself on the left or right side of the screen and pops up when the user moves his mouse to the edge of the screen, offering instant access to all files and folders. Besides showing all devices and favorite places, the user can add files and folders so they can be accessed instantly, as well as access to files recently worked with or downloaded.

Version 1.5 adds a new user interface, an option to disable automatic expanding of folders while dragging and an option to hide the status bar icon. Also, files in regular folders are now sorted by name.