AuntieTuaw
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Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me sort iTunes Music by Apple ID
Dear Aunt TUAW, Ah, the problems of modern romance. Since I broke up with "her" (and yes, I know you were saying she wasn't right for me) getting rid of all the remants of the relationship has not been easy, especially "her" digital footprint. She loved her music. So she would bring her iPod to my house and sync it leaving a whole bunch of songs I'll NEVER play again that were purchased under her Apple ID. How can I find them, delete them and finally be ready to move on with my life? Your favorite but knucklehead nephew, Mark Dear Mark, When in doubt, there's usually an AppleScript solution to everything. Doug's Scripts offers one called "track down purchases" that scans your library, looks at the file for each song, and retrieves the apID purchase account for the track. It then builds individual playlists that sorts the songs by account. Be aware that you may encounter snags for homebrew recordings such as those from GarageBand, because the script expects to encounter standard iTunes tracks. If so, you may want to temporarily remove those while running the AppleScript. Let Auntie know if that does the job for you. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I turn off Messages logging?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Ever since I started using Messages, it appears to be logging everything it does. Can this be disabled, or can the log file be moved to somewhere out of the ~/Documents folder? Your darling nephew Tommy Dear Tommy, Auntie's tending to the spring turnover of the vegetable garden, so she asked Uncle Mike to chime in on this question. The beta of Messages, like its predecessor iChat, has a feature that automatically saves chat transcripts (including transferred files or images, which can get out of control pretty quickly if you're not minding it). Unlike iChat's setting, however, in Messages there's no way to turn the logging off. Be sure to let Apple know that you'd like to see this changed before Mountain Lion ships! With regard to the second half of your question, the answer is absolutely yes; you can go into Messages' preferences, click the Messages icon in the top bar, and then adjust the "Save chat transcripts to:" folder however you like. Since you can't disable the logs, the next best thing would be a way to clear them out periodically -- once an hour, once a day, once a week, whatever. There are scores of approaches to scheduling repeating tasks on your Mac, ranging from the UNIX-savvy one-liners (cron, launchd etc.) to capable and flexible commercial applications (Auntie's terribly fond of Noodlesoft's Hazel). For something like this, though, if you want to clear out the logs once a week, you might give OS X's built-in Automator utility a try. Automator lets you set up a workflow to run when triggered by an iCal event, so it's straightforward to set up a repeating "silent reminder" that simply goes into the logs folder, grabs what's there and tosses it into the Trash. Here's what the workflow would look like: Each step in the workflow passes its results along to the next step, letting us zero in on what we actually want to throw out. This workflow starts by identifying a specific folder (in this case, the iChats log folder), then getting the contents of that folder, and finally moving those items to the Trash. When you save an iCal alarm workflow, it gets dropped right into your calendar. You can then adjust the repeating schedule to make it run at whatever frequency you like. The log files will end up neatly in the Trash; no muss, no fuss... which is more than Uncle Mike can say for Auntie's rows of sugar snap peas. This same technique can be used for any folder that tends to accumulate things you don't actually need to keep. Toodles, UM
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help us put Grandma in touch with her grandbaby
Dear Aunt TUAW, My siblings and I will make the plunge and get our mom an iPad 2 for Christmas. The thing is, my sister is in Texas expecting our family's first grandchild, and mom is out in California. Is there an app/website/solution that would let my sister publish photos of the new baby to somewhere, and my mom would get a push notification or badge that tells her "Hey, you have new photos to look at." The simpler the better, on both ends. Keep in mind, sister has an Android phone, and the both of them are PC users (I know, I know, especially since my partner works for Apple, but we can only convert one product at a time). Any direction would be great! Your loving niece, Lisa H Dear Lisa H, Auntie's going to answer the question you're really asking, not the one in your email. Buy a Ceiva picture frame for grandma, and get either a current-generation iPod or an iPad 2 for your sister in Texas. The Ceiva picture frame allows you and your sisters to upload photos from iPhone, iPod touch, iPad 2 or Android device, directly to Grandma's frame. New pictures are added into the rotation, so Grandma always receives a mix of photos, which you and your sisters can remotely manage. It's ideal for both new grandchildren and keeping in touch with your childrens' lives. Having a great vacation? Share your snaps with your mom, even when she's not there. As for that extra Texas purchase, you will kick yourselves if you don't share that grandbaby using FaceTime. There's no reason for your sister to have to give up her Android phone or her PC. Just get her into the iOS family with a front-facing camera. FaceTime brings California and Texas together instantly for playdates with the baby. It transforms relations-at-a-distance and it's just as magical and revolutionary as all those ads promise, especially with little kids. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I use a third-party SSD with Lion?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Is there any (un)official word from Apple regarding the support for 3rd party SSD HDDs with Lion? I desire to tweak my MBP but do not wish to be without garbage collection and TRIM. What advice have you? Should I hold off on acquiring an SSD? Warm regards, Need4Speed Dear N4S, Auntie is using a 3rd party SSD without any troubles. She downloaded a TRIM enabler from groths.org after reading that the Snow Lion enabler seemed to work under Lion as well. So far, everything seems be running well. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me watch Amazon videos on my TV
Dear Aunt TUAW, Checking out your apps, you have some major talent, thanks for sharing. I know you probably get a gazillion requests, but one feature that would be incredible that I can't find anywhere is the ability to 'stream' Amazon Instant Videos to the AppleTV. I have these free movies since I pay for an Amazon Prime membership but have no way to view them on my TV. I would gladly pay to see such functionality. Do you have any ideas or know anyway to do this? Your loving nephew, Chris W Dear Chris, Auntie's going to go all practical on you here. If you want your Apple TV to work just like a desktop system, consider just...buying a desktop system. Connect a small Mac Mini or Win PC to the TV. Really. Older low-profile units are perfect for that. You can buy a used netbook for peanuts--or you may have an old system already lying around the house; many modern TVs accept VGA input. You can hook them up using either Ethernet or Wi-Fi and use any number of media center apps on either OS. Use a simple VNC app like Chicken of the VNC to connect to and control your new TV media center or use it in reverse to mirror your laptop. Sometimes the most obvious solution really is a workable one. Amazon's videos aren't exactly high-definition so be prepared for some fuzziness in your life. You can leave your Apple TV connected as well to take advantage of all that AirPlay yumminess. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me get a MobileMe refund
Dear Aunt TUAW, I renewed MobileMe in April for $99. It appears there will be no refund. Where's the loud and insistent outcry? Your rather ticked-off nephew, Z Dear Z, Auntie totally gets where you are coming from (although as far as she's concerned, MobileMe is something that always happened to other people). Apple has renewed all MobileMe customers until the middle of 2012 but, honestly, what's the point? Anyway, Apple has clarified its MobileMe refund policy on this Knowledge Base page. Unused activation codes and codes used for 45 days or less will be fully refunded. Codes used for 46 days or more will receive pro-rated refunds. Shipping costs and rebates will be deducted from any refunds. You'll need to provide proof-of-purchase documentation before submitting any claims. You can contact Apple directly and request a refund by phone. This worldwide list of numbers provides contact information on a country-by-country basis. That's what Uncle Steve did. He renewed at the start of the year, getting a few months of service but paying for the entire year. He might have gotten a couple of months more value than you but he's totally in the same boat. So Auntie made him call up Apple and demand, I tell you, demand that refund. Here's what happened. He was quickly transferred to the MobileMe department, and the phone rep there recommended that he wait on canceling. "You can cancel your MobileMe subscription at any time for a pro-rated refund," they told him. "However, if you use MobileMe for email, contacts, calendar, iDisk files, and MobileMe Gallery, that information is going to be deleted and you won't be able to sync devices." The Apple support rep recommended waiting until iCloud becomes available. "[If you wait until] those services are available to you, you can cancel the MobileMe subscription and receive a refund for the remainder of the year. You cannot reactivate your MobileMe subscription after you cancel it, so be sure that if you are going to cancel that you have alternative sources for email, and for syncing. " Uncle Steve chose to wait. He's going to cancel after iOS 5 and iCloud are firmly chugging along this Fall and request his pro-rated refund at that point. You might want to wait and do the same. That's because Uncle Steve is very sensitive about his "mac.com" email address. He wants to keep it forever and ever, and hug it and love it and call it "George." It appears that he'll be able to do so. Yay! He's more than a little concerned about the 5 GB free storage limit on iCloud, though. His email will chew that up in no time -- much like how Auntie's little Pekingese puppy Spunky Sue (AKC registered name "Spunky Sue Your Pants Off Champion Johnnie Cochran") chewed up Auntie's favorite slippers last week. You'll discover a wealth of information about iCloud both in the press release announcing the service and in the web pages that describe it, so be sure to do a little reading for your homework. Do you have any other concerns about MobileMe and the transition to iCloud? Let Auntie know in the comments. Hugs, Auntie T.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me stream my music
Dear Aunt TUAW, Do you know an app that streams music from Mac to iOS? I hear that Apple's iCloud is going to do this but I don't want to pay $25 a year. Your loving nephew, Ivo
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me join my life, my heart, my iTunes account
Dear Auntie TUAW, Can you believe my wedding is in a few weeks?! That's got me thinking all of our digital goods that we now will both share. While I would like to know if it is possible to combine 2 iTunes libraries and still keep metadata (like play counts and composers), I am more concerned with the number of Apple ID's that will be under 1 roof. I've got an old Apple ID that I've made a LOT of purchases with, both hardware and digital goods. In January, I purchased MobileMe, mostly to keep our calendars in sync on 3 macs and 2 iPhones, but I would also like for that me.com address to be my new Apple ID for purchases in both the iTunes store and the Mac App Store (especially for syncing apps on all the machines). Can I just use that ID on all machines? What happens to my purchase history, like all my apps, movies, and anything with DRM? And of course, my future wife has her own Apple ID as well. Is it possible to bring all this together? And don't worry, the band will play a polka the first set, just for you. Thanks! Love and happiness, Dave
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me upload my stuff to Amazon Cloud
Dear Auntie TUAW, Amazon gave me a free 10 GB in their cloud to upload my music. It won't all fit since I have about 15 GB of music, so I was wondering if there was a way to upload just certain playlists without have to go to each folder and upload all the songs separately. Perhaps an automator action? Thanks and kissies, Patrick
Dear Aunt TUAW: Will Lion ship on disc?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I keep reading about how Lion is most likely to be distributed through the Mac App Store. I think this is great, and a huge convenience. I see how this would work for upgrading, but what happens if you have to wipe your computer and reinstall it? If you have no disk, how can you boot from it? It would be a rather large pain to boot from Snow Leopard and then reinstall Lion after logging into the Mac App Store and re-downloading Lion again. I was wondering what your thoughts were. Love, Your Nephew Andrew Q
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help find a Dvorak Keyboard for the Mac
Dear Aunt TUAW, A coworker of mine is wondering if Auntie knows of a good Mac-friendly Dvorak keyboard. Do you know of one? Your loving nephew, MJ
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me move my iOS devices to a new computer
Dear Aunt TUAW, I just bought a brand spanking new iMac. Since I want a clean slate, I am moving everything over manually from my old MacBook. So far so good, except for my iPhone, iPod touch, iPad etc. How do I switch my iOS devices over without the loss of my apps and their saved data. (I have put many many hours into Infinity Blade on long flights.) Thanks! Your loving nephew, Henry
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me sync the music without the video
Dear Aunt TUAW, I just downloaded Hunter Hayes' Storm Warning and loved it! [Ed: It's free over at iTunes this week.] It's a video, but I want to add it to my iPhone playlist as music, and I don't wanna waste carloads of space syncing the video. Almost 50 MB!!! Is there a way? How do I sync music but not video? Thank you Auntie. I know you can figure this out! Your loving niece, Jenny <3 P.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help fix iCal's fonts
Dear Aunt TUAW, Why does Apple make it impossible to adjust the font in iCal? God, I sound like an old person... But seriously, wtf? Frustrated, Your nephew Brian B.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help fix my failed install
Dear Aunt TUAW, Help! I can't install anything after my Xcode install failed. Every time I try, Installer tells me that it's waiting for other installations to complete and then it just sits there forever. What can I do? I've tried rebooting, I've tried killing the installer daemon. I'm at my wits end. Please save me, Auntie! Love, Serge A.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me find a projector for my iPhone
Dear Aunt TUAW, I sometimes watch TV in my bedroom on my iPhone (3GS) via EyeTV before I go to sleep. The screen is, of course, a bit small and not ideally positioned for a relaxed posture in bed. What's your idea on pico projectors in combination with an iPhone (3GS)? Many thanks and best regards Your loving nephew, Bob
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me propose on the iSly
Dear Aunt TUAW, You have been on at me a long time now to make an honest woman of my girlfriend... or at least ask her to be my fiancé, which might or might not be the same thing. But I can't, because I've got an iPhone. Can you help? You see, we have no secrets from each other. If my phone is nearer than hers, she uses it. So if I call the jewelers to ask about a ring, or if they call me back, they will be in my Recent Calls list. If she happens to notice a strange number there, I know she trusts me but I also know she's curious. And the surprise will be spoilt. Now I know that I can delete all recent calls from my iPhone. But I tell you, my dear Aunt, that if she accidentally notices a completely empty Recent Calls list, it won't be the surprise that is spoilt, it will be my face. It's not much of a face but it's the only one I've got. So, dear, wise Aunt TUAW, what can I do? How can I delete a single recent call from my Recent Calls list and get my life moving forward? Apple's instructions give me no way at all. Do we have to go on living in sin, or do I have to commit the worse sin of switching to Nokia? Your affectionate nephew, Joe. PS: No, I am not asking you how to delete single recent calls from the Recent Calls list because the information will be useful after we are married. Perish the thought!
Dear Aunt TUAW: What apps should I buy for Mother's Day?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Mother's Day is coming. What apps should I buy for the beloved of my life, the mother of my children. Tom
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help my windows stay put
Dear Aunt TUAW, During the day, I often switch between the screen on my 13" Unibody MacBook and an external monitor. Of course, this wreaks havoc upon all my poor windows with resizing, moving and so forth. I have to drag them back to their places, and scold them for their impertinence. How dare they move?! Is there a window manager app that will remember where I like my windows, and move them back where they belong in each of these display sizes? Thanks a ton, Your favorite nephew, Rich
Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I wait for the next MacBook Air?
Dear Aunt TUAW, My entire machine is just dog slow lately. I want an MBA sooooo bad. But I'm waiting for Thunderbolt *sigh*. Why can't Apple hurry up and ship those babies? Help a nephew out. What should I do? Love & kissies Your nephew "V".
