Finder
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More juicy in-depth Leopard screenshots of Spaces, Mail, Safari and more
At this point it seems like these websites are placing bets between each other to see who can get closest to an NDA violation without actually getting nailed with one. HardMac has posted the latest set of (non-blurry, properly grabbed) screenshots of some hitherto unforeseen areas of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, including the Spaces and Time machine system preference setup panes, Mail.app stationary and a photo browser (which might make these iTunes and iPhoto library browsers extinct), RSS feeds and setup, notes in Mail with todos and calendar settings, as well as exclusives of new Finder functionality (note the lack of brushed metal in the Smart Folder) and Preview features.So far I'd have to say this is probably the most exciting set of screenshots as they are some of the most revealing of new features and abilities in Leopard. Er, I mean, a friend told me they look really great... check them out while they're still live boys and girls.
Hey Folders! adds colored folders to Finder
Hey Folders! is a handy utility from the maker of Mail.Appetizer that extends the Finder's colored label feature to labeled folders themselves. As you can see, the entire folder icon takes on the color of the label, though files (fortunately) do not receive the colored overlay treatment (I wager that would result in some really funky looking icons). Hey Folders! requires a small amount of manual work to get it to start with each login, however, as you simply need to add it to your startup items if you want it to augment your finder 24/7 (it's a background process known as a daemon; it won't appear in the dock or menubar - only in a process list like Activity Monitor). Full instructions are listed at the Hey Folders! site. Note: at the moment, Hey Folders! is PPC only, but the developer told me a Universal Binary version is 'coming soon.'Hey Folders! is offered as freeware from Bronson Beta.
PicturePopPro - powerful picture viewer Finder plugin
If you need a quick way to browse a few folders of images without starting iPhoto or some other serious photo management software, PicturePopPro just might be the Finder plugin for you. It offers right-click access to a surprisingly powerful yet slim and zippy photo browser and mini-manager. Images and directory structures can be viewed in a number of different ways, and a pop-up menu offers the ability to trash or label the image, as well as open it in its default viewer/editor (like Preview or Photoshop). This killer plugin can even be run in a full screen mode, and there are plenty of other options I haven't even explored yet. Check out its documentation page for visual demos, keyboard shortcuts and screenshots of what this plugin is capable of.PicturePopPro is a Universal Binary and offered as donationware from setnan.org.
Missing from WWDC 2006: The Finder - not a word
We've been hearing talk about a completely redesigned Finder in Leopard as far back as October of '05. Granted, all that stuff is just rumors and wishful thinking but it is probably the one feature throughout the majority of the Mac community that everyone nearly 100% agreed was outdated and in need of a major, major update, sometimes even a rewrite.So what happened to it? The keynote's up, and as I cruise through it to verify, the only time the word 'Finder' seems to be mentioned is when talking about something you can do with a different app. There wasn't a peep about a Finder update, or even a feature bump.The one saving grace that we're going to have to pin our hopes on is the Finder being one of those top secret features Steve said they couldn't even preview today. You can bet the bank if there is a Finder update coming, it isn't in the Leopard previews that are being handed out to developers today. Could we still see a Finder update? Well, let's just hope either that Apple schedules another flashy event before Leopard is released in Spring, or that Steve's Macworld Keynote has even more in store for this next installment of Mac OS X.
How To: Freeze Finder
Want to lock up OS X? Of course you do! When friends with Windows complain that Macs don't have all the features of PC's, you can whip out this little trick to show then that, yes, OS X can lock up just as tight as Windoze. How? You'll need two Macs: one can be any kind of Mac, the other has to be a laptop (also a Mac). First, mount a network volume onto the laptop any way you like. I have a Mac mini in the den we use as a file server (amongst other things). I mount one big honkin' USB drive on all our laptops (three iBooks, a Macbook Pro, and a Macbook) and use it as our Backup.app drive. Next, close the laptop. This puts it to sleep, and "freezes" the state of the machine. Step three involves driving/biking/running as far away from your home network as possible. For this to really work, you'll want to get near another WiFi network. Now here's the tricky part. Upon opening the laptop, quickly navigate to the Finder and open a new window. Anything to access the Finder, essentially, and prompt it to start looking for that (now missing) network volume. During this, the Mac will be scouring the airwaves for a new signal. Upon finding one, it'll ask to join. Say yes, and if you've got your Airport strength in your menu bar, you'll see the name of the network start to scroll across. For me, that's where the party ends. I've tried this on all flavors of Tiger, on a G3, G4, and Intel-based laptop, and it all does the same thing: rainbow wheel and lock up. Once I left my G4 iBook on for 4 hours, and Finder never recovered. No key combos will return sanity, just a floating wheel, with no other response from the OS. Not even CPU gauges update! The only solution is to hold down the power key and reboot. Who says PC users get all the fun? You'd think with UNIX being built for networking...
Change desktop wallpaper with an Automator action
Sometimes randomly rotating your desktop wallpaper through the Desktop System Preferences pane is just a little overkill. Wouldn't it be nice if you had a simple drag-and-drop Automator action for setting your own wallpaper whenever your heart desired a change of pace? Then why not use this macosxhints post to make one. A few simple steps creates an action that you save as an app somewhere (I named my action 'Wallpaper') and simply link to in your Dock. For added convenience I saved it as a Finder plugin so I can right-click any picture I find to quickly chose Automator > Wallpaper from the context menu. Handy.As an extra tip: make sure you turn off automatic wallpaper rotation in the Desktop Preferences pane if it's on. Otherwise, at least from my testing, this action won't work.
Good icons? You're soaking in it.
Giles Turnbull is pondering icons, more specifically what makes a good one. This is an interesting question since most of us spend a good deal of our time staring that this little masterpieces (unless you're one of those freaks who auto-hides the Dock).Giles lists a few icons that he likes (Notational Velocity,Spotlaser) but he admits that he is no designer. He turned to John Hicks (designer of FireFox's icon) and Jasper Hauser (creator of Camino's icon) to give their opinions about icons and list a few of their favorites.I have always had a soft spot for the Finder icon, though I suppose that one is fairly obvious. How about you? Fire off a comment letting us know what icons you like the best.
Informatica pen features built-in WiFi finder
WiFi detectors are a dime a dozen, but this two-faced device adds a second dimension not found on typical sniffers. Informatica's "WiFi Pen," as the name clearly implies, is an ink pen at heart, but also has the ability to alert you of any local wireless networks in range. The lack of a true antenna limits the sniffer's radius to 50 feet, but you get a green, yellow, or red LED indicator to help you quickly determine the signal strength. Priced at $18.95, these won't last long, and according to Informatica's store, these are "available in limited quantities for a limited time only" (which is, of course, the oldest trick in the book to get someone to buy something). Surely it can't be any less effective than the slew of other WiFi locators, but at worst you get a somewhat expensive pen -- infinitely better than an odd looking paperweight -- to draw up a better design. [Via BoingBoing]
Copy and delete a file at the same time
Often I want to move a file from my desktop to another disk. I drag it and drop it into the folder I want and what does OS X do? It helpfully copies to file to the location I wanted it, but sadly leaves it on the desktop (or wherever it was to begin with). Sometimes this is exactly the behavior I want, but most of the time I want to move that file AND delete it from its starting location.Apple has a Pro tip up that shows you how to do this with one action. Simply hold down the Command button as you're dragging and like magic the file is copied to the new location and deleted from the old.Nice. Hey, Apple, how about an RSS feed of these Pro Tips? Thanks!
Liquifile
Using the Finder to browse your files is so last year. The latest addition to the third party add-ons that hope to replace the Finder in your heart (and on your Mac) is Liquifile. This program presents a fairly basis outline of your files, however, it also graphically represents the size of the files in a folder (but not the size of the folder itself) with grey 'bubbles.' Liquifile also has built in filtering to help making that file you're looking for a breeze.A 30 day demo is available and the full version will cost you $9.90.
Safari bookmark tips from macosxhints
The never-failing macosxhints.com is at it again, this time with a series of tips concerning Safari, speed and bookmark management. This tip offers a simple method for using the Finder to sort Safari's bookmarks alphabetically (hint: make sure you hit cmd + j in the Finder and enable the 'Keep arranged by name' option), while this tip points out that Safari can receive a noticeable speed boost if you organize as many of your bookmarks into folders as possible.If you're really looking to speed up Safari, the speed boost/folder tip also contains a roundup from Rob Griffith of quite a few other macosxhints tips that can re-energize Safari's experience.
Mockup of tagging in OS X
As WWDC draws near Mac geeks' thoughts turn to what new features will greet the Faithful in Leopard. Now, Mac users don't just stop at thinking about what they want to see, they create mockups. Matt Jalbert would like to see tagging implemented in the Finder and has created the mockup to the right. He would like to see tags auto-generated by the Finder and Spotlight integration (i.e. when you click on the tag 'bridge' it does a search of all other files tagged in the same way).Some people are already taking advantage of Spotlight to create tagging functionality, but it would be nice to see in the OS (if you're into tagging that is).
Disk Order - an advanced Finder replacement
Disk Order is another app that takes a stab at replacing the Finder, but doesn't seem to take things quite as overboard as PathFinder. With tabbed file browser windows, built-in FTP client, command line tools and more, Disk Order should have a few things to offer anyone who feels like the Finder is the ugly duckling of Mac OS X.A full-featured demo of Disk Order is available, while a license costs $22.57.[via MacMerc]
Will Australia get the first look at Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard?
Tim Gaden (of Hawk Wings fame) has written an interesting article for his 'day job' column at APC Magazine about the possibility of our friends down under getting a first peek at Apple's forthcoming update to Mac OS X, 10.5 Leopard. Apparently, Apple has sent emails stating that they will be previewing the August WWDC during special seminars in Australian capitals during the month of June - nearly two months before the real WWDC takes the stage.If this is true, it would be great to hear real details of what Leopard is going to bring, as opposed to mere rumors of a re-built and Spotlight-dependent Finder, Windows virtualization and resolution independence. Here's hoping our Australian neighbors can't keep secrets very well.
Create custom folders with FolderBrander
Here's a good idea. We all know that the Finder will let us put references to folders in both the Dock and Finder window sidebars. However, a row of generic folders in the Dock looks just like that...a row of generic folders. How do you know which is which? If you don't feel like hunting around for the perfect freeware desktop icon that says "2005 tax stuff,", check out FolderBrander.It's a simple utility that lets you quickly add color or text to a folder's icon. The sliders let you position/skew your text so it looks right, and it will even work if you aren't using the default Aqua icons. Now your folders are identifiable at a glance.FolderBrander requires Mac OS 10.3 or later and a single license will cost you $9.95US.
Path Finder 4.1 released with Universal Binary, other enhancements
Path Finder, the powerful file browser/manager (pseudo-Finder) from Cocoatech, has been updated to version 4.1. Along with Universal Binary status and the typical round of bug fixes, this update also includes: Improved Go To Folder with autocomplete Smart Folders – Path Finder can now read Finder-created Smart Folders New Size Browser for quickly viewing total file sizes of folders, bundles, etc. Added rotate buttons to the integrated PDF viewer Path Finder can now preview PDF bundles (often found on OS X install disks) Added preview support for Help Viewer bundles Path Finder now displays if an application is PPC, Intel, or Universal Binary in the info panel Path Finder can now previews NEF files Added preliminary “email to” support for Microsoft Entourage and Eudora Updated Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, and German localizations Check out Cocoatech's changelog for the full list of improvements and fixes, and scroll to the bottom of Path Finder's product page to download the new version. A 21-day demo is available, while a full license costs $34.95.
DrunkenBlog discovers another image that crashes WebKit
Wanna have some fun with Safari (or apparently any WebKit-based browser), a certain picture, and a post at the DrunkenBlog? Apparently, drunkenbatman has come across another image that can crash WebKit and anything based on it, including the Finder and Preview.If you want the full rundown, head over to the DrunkenBlog post using something like Firefox, Camino or Opera - just not Safari, OmniWeb or any other WebKit-based browsers. If you visit the post in Safari, it will crash; this has been tested in the latest 10.4.5 update on both PPC and Intel versions. Also, whatever you do, do not download the image to your desktop, especially if (like me) you have the Finder option to "show icon preview" turned on. It'll crash Preview and send Finder into a constant crashing/restart cycle.Like I said, you can get the full, in-depth rundown (and I mean in-depth) on this issue and its specifics at the DrunkenBlog.
Quickly navigate your Mac with Filegazer
Filegazer by Donelleschi Software is a very useful (and even fun) file-browsing utility. Basically, you set up the edges of your screen as hot zones. You can assign any folder to any hot zone, like your home folder or Applications. Mouse over that area and a hierarchical menu appears. This is where the fun begins.Filegazer allows you to navigate through your folders as you would expect, and offers live previews of several file types, such as JPGs, PDFs, HTML (without a browser), Word documents, videos and more. You can resize image previews and even jump to full screen mode and back again quickly. I like it.Filegazer requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later and costs $19.95US for a single license.
TUAW Tip: Customize the Finder's toolbar, too
Dave Caolo showed you how to take control of the Finder's sidebar a couple weeks back. Today, I wanted to shed the same light on the Finder's toolbar, as you can customize it and add some tools not found in a default Mac OS X installation.The first thing I like to do is add 'other' kinds of folders (and files) up there, such as my Library, that I don't necessarily want in my sidebar. To do this, you can drag a file or folder up next to the buttons in the Finder, and wait a second - you won't receive instantaneous feedback like you do when adding something to the sidebar. After a second or so, the Finder's search box will move over farther to the right (like when you add something to the Dock), signifying that you can now add that item to the toolbar.You can also add a few more tools to the Finder toolbar by right-clicking on it (just like many other application windows) and choosing "Customize Toolbar." You will be presented with a whole set of handy buttons and actions you can drag and drop to add such as eject, get info, connect to server, burn and more. Even though we covered how to get a file or folder's path by command-clicking on a window's title bar icon, I also like to add the Path button to the Finder's toolbar with this trick for one more level of convenience.Since I'm willing to bet that I haven't covered all the Finder toolbar tricks, feel free to share yours in the comments.
TUAW Tip: easily open a file or folder location
Here's an easy tip for quickly opening the Finder location of a file you currently have open in almost any app.Let say, for example, that you're working in Photoshop on an image that's buried a few folders deep within your Home folder. You'd like to get to that file's location, but unless you've used Dave Caolo's tip for taking control of your sidebar (or you have another trick up your sleeve), it requires clicking on the Finder icon in the dock, then digging deep into the folder system. Well to bypass all that clicking, all you have to do is command click on the small icon at the top of the image window in Photoshop to open a popup list (pictured) of the full directory structure leading to your file. As you can see, my hard drive is named Stewie (yes, I use Family Guy character names for my drives), and my Home folder is named dcharti. I could then click on any of the folders in that list to immediately open it in the Finder, making it a lot easier to boogie around in the file system.The beauty of this trick is that it *should* work in any OS X app that has a file icon (like Photoshop) in the window's title bar (not the white menu bar which sits at the very top of OS X's desktop), and even in some apps that don't necessarily display that icon. Try it in Word and Illustrator. Then try command clicking on Safari's title bar, as it will give you a list of URLs the frontmost tab has visited (like a tab-specific history). You can even open something like a local PDF file in Safari and it will give you the directory list. I bet this works in all sorts of other apps I haven't even tried yet, but it doesn't seem to work in database-driven apps like Mail.app and NetNewsWire. If you find some handy extras with this trick, feel free to add them to the pile in the comments.
