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- Run Quicktime Full Screen on a Secondary Display
I have a 32″ Westinghouse HDTV sitting right next to my computer which I often hook up to use as a secondary monitor or an external display. Up until now I had no idea how to make Quicktime full screen on it while using it as a secondary display.
Make Quicktime full screen while on a secondary display:
- Hook up external display
- Launch Quicktime Pro and open the preferences section
- In the “Full Screen” tab simply drag the Quicktime logo to the screen you want to be able to do full screen.
Переслать - Don't Let Your Mac Fall Asleep
I watch a lot of videos on various sites including Youtube, Google video, etc., and one of my main gripes with the sites is that video does not make your mac think it is busy so it constantly falls asleep while playing a single clip.
In comes the freeware application Caffeine.
Caffeine is a tiny program that puts an icon in the right side of your menu bar. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen or starting screen savers. Click it again to go back. Hold down the Command key while clicking to show the menu.
Caffeine is one of my must have applications and can be downloaded here.
Переслать - Love the Simpsons? Got Money?
D’oh! I just bought an iPod Touch and didn’t realize that I could get any iPod for only $50-$100 more than retail and have some sweet, sweet laser engraved Simpsons characters all over it. The laser engraving on the back of the iPods comes in three flavors: Bart SK8, Homer Tested, and Homer D’oh, shown below. You won’t find these at the Apple Store, though, you will have to go through the Fox/Simpsons store here.
This is a limited collector’s item that can be personalized with your name and will include a series number as well. That price point is a little rich for my blood, but marrying two of the greatest creations in the world is sure to be a winning combination at almost any price.
If you take the plunge, let us know and we will praise your geekiness high above our own.
Переслать - WordPress For iPhone
WordPress launched an iPhone app for posting blog entries right from your device. With my Mac out of commission yet-again, I thought a good test would be a TAB post using only the client.
I used my 1st gen iPhone and the EDGE network to grab the app from the mobile version of the app store. It downloaded and installed very quickly and I was set to go in less than 3 minutes. The app enabled you to setup multiple WP blogs and only needs your site URL and credentials. It then sucks down all your customized settings for posts (quickly, even over EDGE) and lets you start blogging right away. The “Write” screen makes quick work of title, keyword and category entries (very well done interface) and you have the option of saving to local drafts or posting to your site.
Typing a full blog post on the iPhone is no small feat (esp. if you have large fingers) and I was disappointed that there was no option to rotate the display to take advantage of the larger width keyboard.
It does let you embed photos/pictures from your iPhone library (and lets you take one right from the app) - we’ll see how the Seattle library photo looks that I just took and attached.
The app also lets you preview posts in your site template and gives you the option to password protect it.
The WordPress folks obviously spent a great deal of time and energy working on the interface and functionality. While the iPhone autocorrect can make some typing annoying, my overall first impressions are very good. It did crash once on me, but most developers are quick to blame OS 2.0 for bugs.
If you give the app a try, let TAB readers know how it worked for your configuration by dropping a note in the comments.
This whole post was created solely on the iPhone except for the WordPress logo and interface screenshot.
Переслать - Seattle Xcoders Coverage: Golden % Braeburn
I had the opportunity to attend the July 10th meeting of Seattle Xcoders (a local group where Mac OS X Cocoa programmers can connect) that featured Wil Shipley giving a talk on his latest initiative - Golden % Braeburn.
Golden % Braeburn is a company that has been setup to license the storefront used to sell Wil’s most excellent Delicious Library. He tried to find a usable storefront to license since there are many pitfalls to creating your own. Security concerns, state & federal tax nuances, international fees & taxes considerations, interfacing with banks and credit clearinghouses and management of product keys are just a few of the nightmares awaiting those DIY’ers. Mac developers could just use sites like Kagi, but you are then limited by what they provide and must fit into their box. Not being satisfied with any of those options, Wil rolled his own.
With Golden % Braeburn, Wil licenses the full source code to you to do with as you please (except for the removal of the code which calculates his “piece of the action”). If you make changes, Wil will evaluates the efficacy of the feature(s) and can choose to incorporate them into the main codebase to share with other Golden % Braeburn users.
Here’s everything you get:
- a 100% Cocoa app & app components
- store front-end
- store back-end (credit card processor / transaction keeper)
- remote client (to manage licenses and the store)
- expo store (allows on-floor credit swipe & receipt/license print)
- QuickBooks integration
- on-the fly localization (Wil talked about this library he wrote and it is pretty neat stuff …if you’re a developer)
- AppleScript integration
Users experience the store within your application as a sheet. The interface is completely customizable and has some advantages over web apps, like population of fields from the Address Book and a much more secure feel when the user clicks “buy”. Everything is automatic - you do not need to sit and respond to license e-mails or hand-generate keys. It is all handled between the front-end and back-end seamlessly.
A Mac Mini has enough horsepower to run the back-end, but you will need a static IP address and a bit of bandwidth. Will highly recommends a RAID configuration for your disks (hey, it is customer data)
There is no sign-up fee. There is no annual fee. There are no monthly fees. There are no fixed per-transaction fees. The only fee is 5% of the transactions that are fulfilled via the storefront. You are still free to sell your wares on any other site. There are other non-GB fees that are required, but you can read more about Golden % Braeburn on their site. The best part about it (in my opine) is that even if Will decides to disband Golden % Braeburn, you still have the source and can continue to use it (without the cut!). Think about what would happen if Kagi went out of business and it was your only means to sell your app.
The talk was highly interactive and it was great to see so many developers interested in this offering. They had double the usual attendance and folks were not afraid to ask questions and challenge assumptions.
When you are in the Seattle area, I highly recommend popping in on the Xcoders meetings. You can find out more about the group and subscribe to their various calendar and content feeds right on the main page.
If you have questions or experiences with about Golden % Braeburn, drop a note in the comments. I can consolidate them and shoot them Wil’s way for response (or encourage him to respond directly in the comments if he has time). Feel free to drop a note with your experiences with his storefront (if you are a Delicious Monster aficionado) or OS X software storefronts in general (the good, bad and ugly).
Переслать - Transfer Applications from iPhone to iTunes
I was having a lot of trouble getting my iPhone applications to sync with iTunes. I tried doing backups and full syncs to no avail. Finally, in a moment of desperation, I righted clicked on my iPhone and chose the option “Transfer Purchases” and to my suprise and glee I successfully moved my applications onto to my computer.
To transfer applictions to iTunes from your iPhone:
- Right click on your iPhone in the left hand explorer bar
- Select “Transfer Purchases”
- You should see a progress bar in iTunes and your phone should read “Sync in Progress”
- If everything went as planned, all of your applications that were purchased on your iPhone should now appear in iTunes
Переслать - Software Updates & New Release Highlights For Week Ending 2007-07-19
- JumpBox for Ruby on Rails Deployment - 0.9.1 - While the Mac is an awesome platform for web development, it is sometimes useful to use it for the creative & editing side and deploy in a more production-like environment or just deploy in a “sandbox”. By pre-configuring (in a virtual machine) Apache, MySQL and Ruby on Rails on a solid Linux foundation (Ubuntu), the JumpBox folks make installation and management a snap. They support Parallels and VMware so you have your pick of your favorite environment. Alas, this means you must have an Intel Mac running OS X 10.4 or 10.5. Definitely drop a note in the comments with your take on this package.
- Audio Hijack Pro - 2.8.2 - If you’ve ever wanted the ability to record audio playing on your Mac (without having to rig up cables) then this is the utility for you. As the Rogue Amoeba developers themselves say: “If your machine can play it, Audio Hijack Pro can record it”. Version 2.8.2 updates the LAME (mp3 encoder) library, now includes Instan Hijack 2.1 (64-bit) and fixes some bugs. It will cost you $32.00 USD but works on 10.4 & 10.5 (Intel/PPC). Be sure to check out their Nicecast and Airfoil updates as well!
- XTension - 6.0 - I have a bit of X10 devices around and I grabbed this software to see if it was worth dedicating a Mac to home control (I use a hacked NSLU-2 now). With support for OS X 10.2+ one could easily dedicate an older machine to this task. While the web site can be a bit painful to navigate, the software does look interesting. I’m still evaluating whether it’s worth the $149.95 purchase price and would appreciate any feedback in the comments.
- ReceiptWallet - 2.0.6 - Despite the introduction of that other receipt management program to the Mac world, I’m still very partial to ReceiptWallet and version 2.0.6 squashes some bugs (including TWAIN issues) and adds some new features including the capability to encrypt receipt libraries. OS X 10.4/10.5, Intel/PPC & $39.95.
- HP Printer Driver - 1.1 - Until SoftwareUpdate cranked out a notice for me I used to think that Apple only updated printer drivers with major releases. You can grab the 405MB download on your own to see if you need the update in areas where Internet connectivity is lacking. You’ll need 10.5.3 or better to utilize it.
- Headline - 1.0.2 - I’m giving the full release of Headline a go (despite there being a ton of decent free RSS feed readers that do not cost $19.95) and it definitely has a unique and pretty interface. You’ll need 10.5 (Intel/PPC) to get your feed readin’ on with Headline as well.
- D2X-XL - 1.13.44 (OpenGL version of Descent 2) - Descent 2 was a great game and - being the pack rat that I am - the disks are always somewhere to be found (even after our cross country move to WA). You can play Descent 2 on your Mac (10.4/10.5, Intel/PPC) with D2X-XL and this new version enabled Descent 1 mission play, a new capture-the-flag mode as well as three additional game modes, better multi-player support and an integrated help menu (plus tons more). You will need those original disks, tho.
- VLC media player - 0.8.6i - The world’s best media player (where’s the iPhone port?!) gets better with security & bug fixes. Definitely recommend, especially if you play WAV files from untrusted sources. OS X 10.3.9+.
Переслать - Apple Ignoring Support Requests for MobileMe?
MobileMe support is trying to push off support requests, hoping to buy enough time to get things under control. This past Wednesday I decided it was about time to change my new 3G iPhone to sync calendar, contacts and bookmarks with the “cloud” through MobileMe instead of through iTunes (which I rarely ever do). After news that the MobileMe service was starting to work as expected, I made the changes in my iPhone and it started downloading from the “cloud.”
After a few minutes it finished and I noticed I had no contacts. None. I went to Me.com and also had no contacts, but they were still in my address book on my Mac. I tried syncing again, and again, but nothing. I read all the knowledgebase articles on Apple.com but none of the suggestions worked. So I contacted MobileMe support at about 7 AM on July 16.
I got an automated reply that notified me that I would receive a response within 48 hours:
Dear customer,
Thank you for contacting MobileMe Support. This is an automated reply, but a MobileMe Support representative will be reviewing your request and will send you a personal response soon (generally within 48 hours). Meanwhile, you may find the following articles and resources helpful. They address several common questions from customers:
Email Quick Assist
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1146Troubleshooting iDisk authentication or login errors
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1789Updating your billing information
http://help.apple.com/mac/1/help/?nav=pgs/acct_49.html&content=pgs/acct16903.htmlPlease do not reply to this email. Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
MobileMe Support
http://www.apple.com/support/mobileme/ww
http://www.me.com/help
Message Subject: Syncing with MobileMe Push
Follow-Up: 51585825Then, last night I received a response to my inquiry. Instead of a MobileMe support representative suggesting things that might help me sync my data, I got another automated email from Apple asking me to read knowledgebase articles (that I’ve already read).
Dear Customer,
We apologize that it took a little while to respond to you. As a result of the
overwhelming interest in MobileMe, the MobileMe Support team is receiving
higher volumes of email than normal.We see that you classified your request as “Syncing with MobileMe Sync” and
“Troubleshooting MobileMe Sync issues”. We have some articles that address
those topics, and we hope you will find the articles helpful. If they don¹t
help you to resolve the issue you contacted us about, please don¹t hesitate to
reply to this email with additional details so that we can assist you further.Here are the articles:
Troubleshooting Syncing from Mac OS X
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1679Troubleshooting Windows Syncing
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1681Troubleshooting iPhone or iPod touch sync issues
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1672MobileMe: Changes on an iPhone/iPod touch made to your calendars, contacts, or
bookmarks while a sync is occuring may not sync to MobileMe
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1794Mac OS X 10.5: MobileMe Sync menu icon spins constantly
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1182We hope you enjoy using MobileMe.
Thank you,
The MobileMe Team
http://www.apple.com/support/mobileme/ww
http://www.me.com/helpThe only reasoning for this type of support response is that the number of MobileMe support inquiries is overwhelming and they simply don’t have the resources to respond to all of them. So instead of actually responding to my inquiry they sent an email giving me links to the same articles I was reading when I submitted the ticket. If I don’t reply that I still have a problem, they’ll consider the matter resolved.
So Apple’s response to so many people’s problems with MobileMe is to simply ignore them. If they are really, really having problems, they’ll have to reply back (and probably wait another 48 business hours).
I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple’s support, but they’re going to have to step it up a notch here. I feel it’s just unacceptable behavior, even at a time when there are a significant number of support requests, to simply ignore support requests.
Переслать - Upgrade Your iPod Touch to 2.0 for Free and Fast Cash Money
The long-awaited day came and I headed down to my local Apple Store to get a new iMac and a 16GB iPod Touch to take advantage of Apple’s back-to-school promo. (It might be a sign that I have been waiting so long for this that my daughter’s first word was Apple.) Many of you, like myself, have been waiting to buy an iPod Touch until the iPhone 3G was released in the hopes that the software 2.0 update would be free as it was with the January software update. I didn’t want to buy a new iPod Touch a couple weeks ago and have to pay $10 for the update this last weekend.As I carefully unwrapped the iPod and synced it to my computer, I found out that I was gravely mistaken. Software update 2.0 was not installed. iTunes said that I needed to update it, and that I would have to pay. Believe me, I didn’t want to add even ten bucks to the $2000 I had already spent today. I called Apple to see if I needed to still pay for it, and three employees told me I did (well, actually, one person told me that it was absolutely a free upgrade, until I told her that I already had iTunes 7.7: she didn’t know the difference).
So, I resigned myself to purchase the upgrade. But there is a happy ending, for me. It turns out that by upgrading my wife’s iPod Touch this weekend using my account iTunes said that I had already purchased it and could download it for free. So, if you have two iPod Touches, then you can possibly get one updated for free, otherwise, add another $10 to your iPod Touch App budget.
The even better news out of this whole story is that I bought the Mac and iPod Touch on Monday, and the rebate showed up in the mail today! In just five business days Apple turned around a rebate and had the check at my house. Anyone who has used a rebate before knows that they usually come at a time when the money is a nice surprise. Way to go Apple.
Переслать - C-61 in 61 Seconds
About a month ago, we mentioned the danger in taking your iPod, iPhone, or Mac across the northern border into Canada. Now there is a ground swell led by Michael Geist, a lawyer, blogger, columnist, and professor at the University of Ottowa opposing Bill C-61:
Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice introduced Bill C-61, which many have dubbed the Canadian DMCA, in June 2008. There was an immediate outcry from thousands of Canadians concerned that the bill would render illegal every day activities and harm both consumers and businesses.
Prentice is trying to put a stranglehold on Canadian’s fair use of copyrighted materials, much like we are already forced into compliance here in the US. Geist is trying to allow fair copyright laws that allow people to retain the “right to use their property - whether music, videos or other content - in a fair manner without the law painting them as infringers for personal uses.” You can go to his website to learn more about what problems arise with the bill, including the “triple-lock” that locks consumers into a contract with Rogers for their iPhones.
Geist is using the power of the internet to create a forum for voicing your opinions about the inane bill. He asks people to respond to his YouTube video to speak out against any aspect of the bill. The important issue is that people who are working hard to help maintain our digital lifestyles need to be supported by us. Take some time and at least check out his website and the video. You can also join the Facebook group that is over 80,000 strong. Let’s hope our brothers and sisters up north get spared from death sentence on digital content and devices.
Hat tip to Alec Couros.
Переслать - Forum Activity: July 21, 2008
- Adobe Software Blunders
- GL Image Browser
- Airport Extreme AirTunes Capabilities
- iPhone 3G, MobileMe and Stuff
- HELP, serious problem Powerbook G4 12″ Alu dead?
Переслать
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