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- How-To: Quit All Open Applications in OS X
Sometimes, for whatever reason, you need to quit all your open applications. But going through each application and quitting them is a pain. Good thing Apple included a nifty little scripting language in OS X called AppleScript that will allow us to quit applications in one fell swoop.The Easy Way
- Just download the precompiled Quit application we put together.
- You're done, unless you want to assign it to a keyboard shortcut, in which case, read the Assigning a Keyboard Shortcut section below.
The Hard Way
- Fire up the AppleScript Editor, which is located in /Applications/Utilities.
- Copy this code and paste it into the AppleScript Editor window:
tell application "System Events" to set the visible of every process to true set white_list to {"Finder"} try tell application "Finder" set process_list to the name of every process whose visible is true end tell repeat with i from 1 to (number of items in process_list) set this_process to item i of the process_list if this_process is not in white_list then tell application this_process quit end tell end if end repeat on error tell the current application to display dialog "An error has occurred!" & return & "This script will now quit" buttons {"Quit"} default button 1 with icon 0 end try - Save it as an application and give it a name (may I suggest "Quit"?).
- That's it. You can move it to your desktop so you can run it before you shut down, but that's inefficient, isn't it? Read on to find out how to assign it to a keyboard shortcut.
Assigning a Keyboard Shortcut
- Open up Automator (/Applications/Utilities) and choose to create a new service.
- Set Service receives to no input and leave everything else alone.
- Search for launch application in the search field on the left pane and drag the resulting action over to the right pane. Your Automator window should look like this:
- Save it and give it a name. I used Foo.
- Open up System Preferences and click on Keyboard (or Keyboard & Mouse, depending on your version of OS X).
- Go to the Keyboard Shortcuts tab and click on Application Shortcuts in the left pane.
- Click the + symbol to add a new shortcut and make sure the Application popup list is on All Applications.
- Put whatever name you gave the service you created earlier in the Menu Title field. It has to be the exact name, meaning capitalization matters.
- Click on the Keyboard Shortcut field and enter whatever shortcut you want. Shift-Command-Q is already taken by the system, so I used Option-Command-Q. Your window should look like this:
- Click Add, and you're done.
Conclusion
Now you're ready to take over the world. Well, maybe not, but you are ready to shut down.
Переслать - Rumor Has It: iPad to Launch Worldwide On April 24
Despite Apple’s iPad being just a few short days away from release here in the U.S., the Cupertino-based company has not yet specified a definitive date for the tablet’s international launch. However, according to recent whispers from Apple store employees a date may now be in sight.When Apple announced the launch date for its new device earlier this month, it only imparted solid details (on both price and dates) for the U.S., providing only a vague ‘late April’ time schedule for the rest of the world. But if Apple store workers from Canada are to be believe,d the iPad could see its international debut on April 24.
According to iPad in Canada, Canadian Apple staff have been informed that April 24 and 25 are “blackout periods.” Apparently these “blackout periods” are an interval of time, typically over a day or two, specified by Apple that employees can not book off. The source claims that these required working periods are rarely called upon and signify that something big is going down.
The speculated date makes sense, as not only does the 24th and 25th fall over a weekend, similar to this weekends launch, it also lines up with Apple’s earlier hints of a late release date in April. Of course it is worth noting that the original report references Canadian Apple Store sources only and does not divulge any further details on international dates. But it would seem highly unlikely of Apple to play around with too many dates.
Finally, iPad in Canada went on to theorize as to when the iPad would be available for pre-order. It is hoping that the international launch will play out in a similar fashion to the U.S., with a pre-order campaign kicking off three weeks before the availability date. If its guess is correct, Apple could be revealing all in the coming days, with international pre-orders possibly opening as soon as this Friday.
Переслать - DoubleTwist for Mac Integrates With Android Market — Sweet!
DoubleTwist is quickly becoming the iTunes solution for the masses and I’m glad I adopted it back in October of last year to manage my mobile media. With it, I’m buying music on a regular basis from Amazon’s MP3 store and can synchronizing media to nearly any device. Today, I took an early look at the latest beta version of DoubleTwist for Mac — v 1.0b16 — and the new features show it moving far beyond a simple and effective music synchronization application. It’s more useful as a media player and as a way to find software in the Android Market. Yes, DoubleTwist for Mac has integrated with the software store for Android devices.
You can’t actually install or download Market apps in DoubleTwist, but you can scour the store for software by searching for it. The activity is enjoyable on a larger display and I foresee myself using DoubleTwist to find apps whenever I’m armed with my MacBook. When I’m not, I’ll revert to the native Android Market on my Nexus One. DoubleTwist pulls much of the information found in the Market: screenshots, reviews, number of downloads and more. Each app shows a QR code, so it’s a snap to scan it with an Android device’s camera and install the software. The same information is available in a web interface too: just hit up http://apps.doubletwist.com from a browser if you don’t want to install DoubleTwist. That’s just a killer win for Android users. Jon Lech Johansen — aka: DVD Jon and a co-founder of DoubleTwist — tells me that the Windows version of DoubleTwist will see the same Market integration with the next major release.
Podcast search and playback is another new addition to the Mac client; The Windows version gained podcast support earlier this month. For now, DoubleTwist won’t synchronize podcast media to your mobile device, but clearly, that’s the next logical step. Until then, you can search for podcasts and play them back on demand directly through the media player feature of DoubleTwist. The player is revamped in this version as well. Instead of a small corner section of the app for media controls, a new full-width audio player appears at the bottom of the software. One tap hides it while another returns it to view. And video podcasts play within the full size of the application or can be viewed in full screen.
The DoubleTwist product is definitely making inroads towards a mass market. What started out as a media transcode and sync platform continues to mature with new features that rival iTunes. And T-Mobile’s pre-installation of DoubleTwist on new MyTouch3G handsets shows that carriers are interested. I’m not waiting for the carriers though — I’m using DoubleTwist on a regular basis and will probably use it daily thanks to the new Market integration.
Related research on GigaOM Pro (sub req'd):
Forget Syncing: Let’s Put Music In the Cloud!
Переслать - iPhone Development Alternatives: Code Without Objective-C
Apple has gone to great lengths to allow anybody who wants to, the ability to develop and sell their very own app. I appreciate this but I've never programmed in Objective-C before and I'm not sure if I want to learn. So I started looking around for alternative ways to create an iPhone app. I had already created web apps using iWebKit so the idea of using HTML and JavaScript is very appealing.I know, you're saying "Why not just learn Objective-C? You're so lazy." I wanted to test the waters first before I spent a lot of time learning a new programming language. I'm sure there are many other options out there but these are the ones I have looked at.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is a free open source development tool that allows you to build apps using JavaScript. There is support for iPhone, Android & Blackberry environments. This was the first tool I learned about and it really intrigued me. PhoneGap is designed for someone with HTML and JavaScript knowledge. It will provide a bridge into the iPhone development world.
The first thing you do in install PhoneGap's library installer and template into Xcode. Now you can choose to create a "PhoneGap-based Application." This will give you a starting point and it will create all the files that are needed to begin. The idea is that you can build your app like a website. You use HTML and JavaScript as you would if you were creating a web app. There are some native features you can use such as Accelerometer & GPS. It still may be a little tough since the documentation is a little sparse. It's still young though and they are heading in the right direction.
RhoMobile
RhoMobile is similar to PhoneGap but much more polished. Commercial apps require a licensing fee and that's why you get so much more. RhoMobile also has support for all current mobile OS's, synchronized data plans, Ruby support and a web-based development service called RhoHub.
It's a very nice package and definitely a step up from PhoneGap. They also use special HTML tags to access native features like GPS, contacts, camera, maps and push. Visual style is also very important and that's why they integrated styling based off of iUI to keep everything feeling native.
The RhoHub editor looks very nice and their sync features are also inviting. The problem I have is the price. I'm already going to be $99 down just to become a developer and I don't want to risk more money while I'm testing the waters. RhoMobile charges $500 per app and if you use their RhoSync server it starts at $5,000 for 100 users.
I love what they're doing but I don't want to commit that much yet. They understand this and even talk about it on their FAQ page.
"Some of our best customers have graduated from a simpler framework."
Someday I may try them out but not this early in the game.
Titanium
Titanium is similar to RhoMobile, but it's free. It makes money by offering professional plans that give you premium support, beta access and more in-depth analytics data. I don't need those features yet so the free version works perfect for me.
The big push with Titanium is keeping things native. It uses JavaScript to talk to the iPhone OS and complete tasks using native elements whenever possible. This allows you to create an app that looks and feels like a truly native app.
Titanium is a developer application in itself so you don't have to work in Xcode. Everything is run off of JavaScript and HTML files that you can edit in your editor of choice. It's just like creating a website except for the special JavaScript calls that it has developed.
It is actually easier to use the native elements it provides than to try to create the iPhone look using HTML. It has a great example app called Kitchen Sink which shows you everything that can be done. If you like what you see, find the source file and see how their developers did it. I like learning this way and it allowed me to advance and get comfortable pretty quickly.
A lot of other steps have to be taken on the Apple Dev Center site to allow you to test apps on your devices and submit them to the store such as provisioning & distribution profiles. Once you take care of all your profile downloads and testing, Titanium can create a zip file that's ready to be uploaded to Apple. I was very impressed by how easy this was. I used Titanium to test my apps in the iPhone simulator, on my iPhone and then created the file that was ready to submit.
Conclusion
To get into iPhone developing, I was willing to spend the $99 Apple wanted, but that was it. Until I could make that money back, I wasn't interested in paying for anything else. Now that I see the backend and have actually made some money, the idea of paying for development is more appealing.
If you are ready to take the plunge, I would look at Titanium. You'll get the native elements without having to learn Objective-C. If you have a some money to spend, and perhaps a more complicated app, RhoMobile may be the answer. If you have a lot of money to spend then why not hire a developer who could bang it out for you in a week? It all depends on what you want to get out of the experience.
Now that I have done a few apps using Titanium, I am interested in learning and using Apple's SDK tools. I hope I can find the time and the willpower to learn a new programming language. It would be the logical final step in my iPhone journey. I started by making web apps and to finish by making native apps just makes sense. If you have a good idea for an app then go for it, the most you'll be out is $99 and some time.
Переслать - University Tempts Students With Free iPads
If you’re considering a school for next year, you might want to put Seton Hill on the shortlist, as the university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania is the first academic institution to announce free iPads for every full-time student beginning in Fall, 2010. The goal is to create a connected campus where students can share notes, download textbooks and exchange files all on one unified platform.Seton Hill is a Catholic liberal arts university, but regardless of the curriculum, a free iPad would definitely influence my choice of schools, especially given that you’ll be paying ridiculous amounts for tuition no matter where you go. Better to get something awesome in the bargain.
That’s not all you could get, either. If you’re a first-year undergraduate student just starting out, you get a 13-inch MacBook, too. It’s like some kind of Apple customer loyalty indoctrination camp. That’s an education you can’t put a price on, if you ask me.
So are iPads in the academy a good idea? I mean, Apple’s new wonder device obviously has its merits as an educational tool. Anything that makes reading seem cool and futuristic does. But what about rolled out as a comprehensive solution at a higher learning institution? Will a bunch of undergrads running around with quick and easy access to Facebook chat make them study any harder or smarter?
In a word, yes. These days every student going into college has a notebook or netbook computer, and almost no one takes notes by hand anymore. In that environment, it’s virtually impossible to find a student who isn’t already able to devote as much class time as they want to distracting pursuits like social networking sites and games. It’s not very likely that the iPad could even manage to exacerbate that problem, given how widespread it already is.On the other hand, the iPad can do a lot of good in an educational environment, especially when it’s universally available, resulting in an even playing field. Unlike computers, the iPad is basically a single-focus device. It allows students to concentrate on one app at a time, which is perfect for those who have trouble reining in their attention on traditional computing platforms, myself included. It also provides great opportunities for truly collaborative learning experiences, depending on what kind of apps devs come up with, or on what kind of special features educational publishers include with their textbooks.
Seton Hill may be the first school to offer up free iPads for students, but I doubt very much it’ll be the last. Aside from providing a great incentive to attract new students, it also provides terrific opportunities for institutions interested in being at the forefront of advances in scholarship and education. And it gives me one more reason to consider going back for that second degree I always wanted. Too bad Seton doesn’t offer a program in marine biology.
Переслать - Why I'm Sticking with Amazon for My e-Books
The iPad will be coming out in just a few days. There's a good chance that shortly thereafter, as soon as 3G versions are available in stores, I will have my hands on Apple's newest product. One of the principal reasons that I will be purchasing the iPad is to be my e-book reader. I have been an avid reader my entire life, and as something of a technologist as well, I have been waiting for e-books for as long as I can remember.
Amazon, obviously, got the ball really rolling with the Kindle after years of stagnation in the market. Apple is going toe to toe with them with the launch of the iBookstore. So when I have an iPad in hand I'm going to be faced with a choice, use Apple's iBooks solution, or stick with Amazon's Kindle platform.
I've been thinking about this ever since the iPad was announced, going back and forth on the issue. On the one hand I have already made an investment in Amazon's e-book ecosystem, having purchased about 30 books to read on the Kindle app on my iPhone. That's about $300 invested, but even if I switch to Apple's iBooks app I can always have the Kindle app sitting next to it on my iPad if I want to read one of those titles. The iBookstore, however, offers several benefits over the Kindle app:
- The ability to purchase books from within the app
- The ability to add any open ePub format book to iTunes and sync it over
- The rumored 30,0000 public domain books that will be available
Given these benefits it might seem like a slam dunk to move over to iBooks, but I've decided against it, for one simple reason: cross-platform compatibility.For me, books are a long-term investment. If I like a book I'm going to read it two, five or even 10 times, and some of my favorite books from my teenage years I've read so many times I can't even remember how many times I've picked them up. Books, including e-books, I buy today aren't something that I'll one and done like a television episode or even a movie — these are things that I'll want to be able to access in 10 or 20 years. Given that, it's important for me to pick an e-book platform that I know will be able to follow me as my tastes and needs for hardware change. What happens if I decide in five years that I don't want to use Apple products anymore? If I invest heavily into the iBoookstore those books will be lost to me, but with the Kindle there's a good chance that I'll be able to read those books on a future Android device, or a Windows tablet or something we don't even know of today but that I might be using.
It's hard for me, as an Apple fanboy, to consider the possibility that Apple may not be able to meet my computing needs in the future. But I care more about books than I do about Apple and so I need to be honest with myself about this. When push comes to shove, it's more important for me to have my books than it is for me to have Apple's products, and that's never going to change. So when the iPad comes out and I have one in my hands I'll be reading my books in the Kindle app.
Related GigaOM Pro Research: Evolution of the e-Book Market
Переслать - TAB Welcomes: Alex Layne
My first Apple device was an iPod Nano, second-gen, and using it was a revelation; the simplicity of the click-wheel and the solid industrial design wowed me.My second Apple device was an iPod touch, also a second-gen and also a revelation; interacting with a touchscreen was completely new to me, and iPhone OS was a dream to use.
After owning those two, I got interested in OS X. I learned everything I could about Macs, watched every video I could find, and played with the Macs at the local Haddock store (Wichita doesn’t have an Apple store yet). I wanted to use OS X, so much so that I couldn’t wait to scrounge up the money to buy a Mac; I had to use it now. And so I hackintosh’d my crappy Dell Inspiron 1525 using a guide I found on DailyBlogged.com. Later, I’d end up writing for DailyBlogged, posting how-tos and opinion pieces.
Using a hackintosh was OK, but I still wanted a real Mac. Eventually, I made enough money to buy the unibody MacBook Pro I’m typing this on. Fast-forward a few months and here I am.
When I’m not using OS X, I’m using its cousin, Linux. There was a time when I used Windows, but those days are long gone. The only time I see Windows now is in VMWare.
If you’re interested, you can keep up with me through Twitter or my personal blog.
(PS: Yes, I’ve trimmed my beard since that picture was taken.)
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Новинки каталога интернет-супермаркета SoftKey - самого популярного в Рунете продавца софта.
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