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Dropbox has a new "Fix Permissions" feature
I consider myself fairly savvy when it comes to Dropbox, but I learned a new tip from Mac OS X Hints. If you get "Permission Denied" errors, you can try to "Fix Permissions" in Dropbox. This is not repairing disk permissions in Disk Utility, it's within the Dropbox app itself. To get to it, open Dropbox preferences, then click "Account" and you'll see this: Make sure that "Unlink This Computer" is highlighted (if it isn't, press Tab until it is). Hold down the alt/option key and it will change to this: I assume this is a new feature in Dropbox version 2. If you're not reading Mac OS X Hints already, you really should start.
Terminal Tips: More reliable SSH connections to your Back to My Mac hosts
Back to My Mac is a feature of MobileMe that allows you to connect remotely to your Macs. Usually this is for screen-sharing or file-sharing through the Finder, but you can also connect via SSH. In the Terminal app (found in /Applications/Utilities/), you can connect via Shell » New Remote Connection, then click the "Secure Shell (SSH)" item, then the computer you want to connect to under the "Server" column. But what if that doesn't work? In that case, I have two suggestions for you: first, use SSH v2 and IPv6. Perhaps it's best to show you the command and then explain it: ssh -2 -6 imac.luomat.members.mac.com -v The "members.mac.com" is consistent for all users. "luomat" is my MobileMe username. "imac" is the hostname of my Mac. See System Preferences » Sharing if you don't know what your computer's name is, or to change it. The "-2" tells SSH to only try SSH protocol version 2, and the "-6" tells SSH to only use IPv6 addresses. The "-v" tells SSH to be "a little" verbose in its output. That part is optional. You could also use -vv or -vvv if you want more verbosity. So far, this method has given me even more success than my DynDNS hostname, which I described before. Before you worry about the security implications of giving people my MobileMe hostname, I should mention that it seems to be impossible to connect to BTMM hostnames unless you are connecting from another computer that is logged into that same MobileMe account. If you have spaces in the computer's name, they are usually replaced with "-" and punctuation is ignored. So, "John's iMac" becomes "Johns-iMac" in the SSH command. Marco Arment also figured out that if you have a period in the hostname or MobileMe username, you should escape it with a \ so that "john.doe" becomes "john\.doe" when you are connecting via SSH. Of course, to be able to connect to your remote Mac via SSH, you must have enabled "Remote Login" under System Preferences » Sharing.
WoW blogging step 5: Write, write, write!
From our mini-guide to starting your own WoW blog, we spawned more in-depth posts for each step. Now that you know a bit more about finding a blog host, determining your goals, figuring out your slant, and becoming part of the WoW blog community, it's time for you to hop on your keyboard and get to work! Okay, wait. I don't mean for it to sound like a job (even though for some of us, it is). I mean, don't be afraid to just start writing! No reason to fear the blank screen, my friend. Here are a few tips to get you steaming up to at least your high school 30 words-per-minute mark.
WoW blogging step 4: Become part of the WoW blog community
Today we continue to expand on our mini-guide to starting your own WoW blog. After you find a blog host, determine your goals, and figure out your slant, you should work to become part of the WoW blog community. Although it's true that the WoW newsy-type sites like WoW Insider are very competitive with each other about breaking stories, WoW bloggers on the whole are a very collaborative, friendly, and helpful group. It can only benefit you to jump in and get to know them, so here are a few tips to help you break into the community.
WoW blogging step 3: Figure out your slant
Starting your own WoW blog is a lot of fun. We gave you the mini-guide to starting your own WoW blog, and then went into more detail on finding a blog host and determining your goals. In today's step, we'll help you work on what your slant is. A slant is your unique (or peculiar) way of looking at the topic you chose in Step 2. Scout the competitionYou need to know what's already being done out in the blogosphere in order to find out where the gaps are. For example, coming out of Step 2 you've decided that because you are a huge fan of the Hunter class you'd like to blog about all things hunting. You probably already subscribe or read some Hunter blogs already, but if you don't, a simple Google search of "WoW hunter blogs" will turn up over 400,000 pages. That's a lot of Hunter talk! But don't panic. Remember that the first search results page or three will list the most popular blogs on that topic and those are the main ones you need to look at. Subscribe to them and read them daily. In fact, putting your own spin or argument on a topic that another blogger discussed while linking back to that blog is a good way to pique the interest of the bloggers themselves. (We'll talk more about backlinking and blogrolling in Step 5.) So with all these blogs, how do you enter the fray?
WoW blogging step 2: Determine your goals
Continuing to expand on the mini-guide to starting your own WoW blog. let's talk about something that's far more important than your blog host: What do you want to do with this thing? Goals determine what you're going to write about, how often you write, what not to waste your time on. They give you focus. That said, you may start out thinking you want to write about one thing and change your mind later. That's okay too. You're not a failure. That's the beauty of blogging; it's very fluid. However, when you're starting out, keep in mind that it's much harder to garner a reader base if you're all over the map with your posts rather than being more focused. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just harder. After the break, I'll go into some things you should consider before diving into your first blog post.
WoW blogging step 1: Find a blog host
Last week I opened up a big can o' worms by giving you a mini-guide to starting your own WoW blog. I've conceded to popular demand and decided to give you more detail on what's involved with each step. Today I'm going to talk about what's involved in finding a place to host your blog.There are about a bajillion places to start your blogging life. Some are easier; some are more customizable. Usually the more customizable they are, the more complex they are to set up and use, and sometimes they are also more expensive. Let's call these two options (1) the Easy Way and (2) the Fancy Way. After the break, I've listed five things to consider when choosing which of these ways you want to go:
How to start your own WoW blog
I've been a blogger since before the term "blog" existed. (In the mid-90s, we called it a "diary" on our "zine.") I've been blogging about WoW for about a year now. For some reason, people really like to read and blog about WoW, which is the main reason WoW Insider even exists. WoW is a social game so it lends itself to group discussion. People want to share their experiences and their knowledge so much that there are literally thousands of WoW blogs out there. If you've been bitten by the blogging bug and want to start writing about your own game exploits, here's a 5-step mini-guide for you after the break.
WoW Insider Weekly
Looking for something to read. Look no further -- here's the best of our weekly features from the last seven days, presented in a handy roundup format. If you missed it the first time, don't make the same mistake twice. Guildwatch: The aftermathThe messiest part of guild drama comes after it happens. And when the bank has been ninja-d the last gquit has been typed in, and the last wipe happens -- that's when Guildwatch appears. Shifting Perspectives: Druids just wanna have funCaw! Some Druids in the Penny Arcade alliance pull off a little fight-or-flight terror, The Birds-style. He Said, She Said: HypermasculinityAmanda and David wonder why your mage is so incredibly buff. Build Shop: Shaman 18/43/0Pound for pound, one of the best melee DPS dealers in the game -- the Enhancement Shaman enters the Build Shop. More great weekly features after the break, including an in-depth look at Cooking, and a must-read post for every Hunter.
Cinemassively: Getting started with voice chat in Second Life
Torley Linden is a tutorial-making machine! Her how-to's are great for the starting resident of Second Life, but might also teach the older enthusiast a thing or two. If you need instruction on a specific subject, there's actually a video tutorial wiki page.Yesterday, Torley did a whole series of them on voice chat. The video above is on getting started, but she also has videos on who's speaking, etiquette, improving your hearing, private calls, speech gestures, and disabling it for yourself and your land. These clips are in easy to digest lengths of just under one minute to almost four, depending on the complexity of the problem!
Patch 2.3 on WoW Insider
Did you hear that? A sound like thousands of voices crying out in joy? It was patch 2.3-- the first content patch in a long time is coming to World of Warcraft today.If you're a WoW player, you're probably already straining at the bit to get the chance to play Zul'Aman, put stuff into your guild's bank, or get your Engineering up and build that new flying machine. Fortunately, our sister site WoW Insider, the mavens of all things Azeroth, has you covered. We've posted a huge guide to everything patch 2.3 over there, and you can find even more on WoW Insider's tag page for patch 2.3. No Hunter dead zone? New UI improvements? Wondering what Blizzard did to the old pre-60 instances? It's all there for your perusing pleasure while you're waiting for the realms to come back from maintenance this morning.The world (of Warcraft) will never be the same. Now if only they could figure out a way to make those Shamans happy...
iPhone Coding: Recording Audio
%Gallery-5616% Yesterday, I figured out how to record audio on the iPhone. Today, by popular request, I'll go through the how-to part. And, for those of you paying close attention, I've updated the application with lots of nice new features. For those of you playing along at home, here are the basics you'll need to know to get started with audio recording.
How to make Mac icons
I love trying out new desktop icons from sites like the Iconfactory. In fact, my copy of Pixadex is bursting with nearly 3,000 icons. I guess it was inevitable that I'd eventually want to try to make my own.Luckily, Macinstruct has posted a great tutorial on making icons for the Mac. It's fully illustrated and provides easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Now I know what I'll be trying this weekend.[Via Macsimum News]
