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Set up Mountain Lion's text expansion options
Lifehacker has a simple look at how to set up Mountain Lion's built-in text expansion (or, as Apple calls it, "substitution") options. In System Preferences, under Language and Text, you can go in and set up any number of text shortcuts that will expand into commonly-used phrases and words. There are a few built-in already -- typing "(c)", for example, will give you a copyright symbol. But you can put anything in there, so you can use a few quick keys to punch out your email address or phone number, or use some other phrase for anything you happen to type often. Developers know how helpful this can be while writing code. Not only can you use text expansion to help reuse bits of code, but a text expander can remember the exact wording or form of something that you might not always remember. Third-party apps have handled this task well, but with the new restrictions on sandboxing, which is preventing a lot of apps from working on a system-wide scale, it could be helpful to set up your text expansions in the OS.
Put colorful Finder icons back in Mountain Lion
OS X Lion introduced greyscale Finder icons in the side bar of Finder windows. They look nice, but many think their colorful counterparts were nicer. SideEffects lets you replace them. This simple Mac utility installs components that enable color Finder sidebar icons in both Lion and Mountain Lion. SideEffects is donationware and a beta, so if that makes you hesitant you can skip over it. Otherwise, enjoy the pretty icons!
Flip4Mac WMV tool launches public beta of v3
Mac owners who work in a Windows environment know how difficult it can be to play a Windows Media file on their laptop. One popular solution that lets customers play and edit a WMV/WMA file is Flip4Mac, a QuickTime component that is developed by Telestream and supported and hosted by Microsoft. The latest release is Version 3, which customers can now download as a public beta. This newest version includes support for 64-bit Core Audio in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. The package is now signed with a digital certificate that meets Gatekeeper's security requirements. Besides some changes for Mountain Lion, this release also includes a new Flip Player application. Flip player is a free, standalone media player that complements Flip4Mac's system-wide QuickTime integration. Customers who want more than a player can purchase an upgrade to a Pro (US$29), Studio ($49) or Studio Pro HD ($179) version. In addition to playback, these paid versions can edit and transcode WMV and WMA files.
Mountain Lion 101: Silencing Notification Center alerts
Mountain Lion's Notification Center is handy. It displays banners and alerts from notification-aware apps to keep you informed of changes, like a new Twitter mention, Calendar event or email message. That last one can get distracting, depending on how much email you receive. Here are some ways to tame email alerts: Disable alerts and banners in System Preferences. Open System Preferences and click Notifications. Select Mail from the list on the right and then click None. You'll no longer see email notifications. Quit Mail. Apple's Mail app won't push notifications if it isn't running. Turn them all of at once. Open Notification Center on your Mac and swipe up to the very top. Move the slider labeled Show Alerts and Banners to the Off position to silence all pop-up alerts and banners (they still appear listed in Notification Center itself). Slide it back to On to restore alerts and banners. If you're worried about a notification popping up when you're making a presentation, don't be. Notification Center is smart enough to recognize when you've got Keynote open and silences notifications on its own. Additionally, it won't display alerts or banners on a mirrored display.
Mountain Lion 101: Notification Center in a hot corner
Apple's Mountain Lion introduced Notification Center to the Mac. This handy feature lets notification-aware apps display pop-up style alerts when something changes, like an incoming email message, Twitter mention, Calendar appointment and more. Apple notes that you can access Mountain Lion's Notification Center by swiping your trackpad or Magic Trackpad from left to right. Alternatively, you can click the Notification Center icon in your Mac's menu bar (here's a more thorough look at Notification Center options). Those are great, but I use a third option. Specifically, I've assigned Notification Center to a hot corner by following these steps: Launch System Preferences and click Desktop & Screen Saver. Click the Screen Saver tab, then click Hot Corners. Click the drop-down menu at your corner of choice, choose Notification Center and then click OK. Now the Notification Center will appear every time you move your cursor into that corner. I suspect you're wondering why, so I'll tell you. First, I run my MacBook Air connected to an external display with the lid closed. Also, I don't have a Magic Trackpad and finally, I've been using Hot Corners for years to trigger Exposé and Spaces, so it's an action I'm used to performing.
Panic's Candy Bar is now free, goes to Iconfactory
Panic has updated icon customization app CandyBar for compatibility with OS X 10.8, changed the price to free and handed it over to The Iconfactory. As the 'Factory workers point out, changes Apple has recently made to OS X security have hindered the app significantly. For that reason, it's no longer supported. Mac users have long enjoyed the ability to customize the look of their operating system. Who remembers Kaleidoscope from the pre-OS X days? We sure do. Unfortunately, OS X rendered Kaleidoscope obsolete, and now Mountain Lion is looking to do the same to CandyBar. For example, Apple's latest OS prevents customization of Dock icons (though the indicator light can be changed). Also, a custom icon on a signed app could cause the App Store to fail to recognize an available update. Anyone who purchased CandyBar during July, 2012 can receive a refund (see details here). Panic indicates that The Iconfactory has plans for the app's future, but we'll have to wait and see what those will be.
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT/10pm ET: Dog days edition!
It's Sunday again, like it or not, and as long as you can turn the air conditioner down low enough so the noise doesn't drown it out, you can join us tonight to record the Talkcast! We'll be discussing the latest and greatest (or not so greatest) news on Mountain Lion, the Apple/Samsung Showcase Legal Showdown, and include a PSA about security. It may be a warm one where you are, so tonight's Aftershow will likely include topics that go well with ice. Now it's really all about you, the community, so join me won't you? To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for +5 Interactivity, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (Viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
Mountain Lion bugs: Chopped battery life and nonsensical 'Save As' behavior
It's inevitable that with new operating systems come new bugs. One widely-reported bug has affected a noticeable chunk of laptop Mac users who've upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion: some users are reporting steep declines in battery life. A poll at Engadget shows that over 7400 of nearly 17,500 respondents who've installed Mountain Lion (42 percent) say they've noticed a definite and discernible drop in battery life. A similar poll at RazorianFly suggests that the 2011 models are disproportionately affected, but that may be sample bias. Battery problem reports came out last year when OS X Lion launched. The problem with these bugs is it's nearly impossible to predict which systems will be affected or under what circumstances; my Early 2008 MacBook Pro has had no observable loss of battery life under Mountain Lion, but a brand-new MacBook Pro may well see battery life declines of 20 percent or more. No one has tracked down a specific cause or a fix yet, including Apple. However, it's safe to assume this will be a top priority for the forthcoming 10.8.1 update, so don't start sharpening those class-action lawsuit claws just yet. Far more concerning is the way "Save As" works in Mountain Lion. You'll recall that Mountain Lion brought "Save As" functionality back to OS X, which spared us from a year of workflow-breaking "Duplicate" then "Save" hoop-jumping. Fellow TUAW blogger TJ Luoma even figured out how to change the menu commands around so "Save As..." showed up by default instead of "Duplicate" in the systemwide "File" menu. Unfortunately, it turns out that Mountain Lion has answered a question no one thought to ask until now: When is "Save As..." not really "Save As..."? The answer is surprising and somewhat distressing. As Mac Performance Guide notes, the "Save As..." command in Mountain Lion saves changes in your new document and the original document. In my own testing, the reason seems to have something to do with Mountain Lion's auto-save features. Initiating and completing a "Save As..." command will automatically close the original document and leave the new document in its place. The simple act of closing the original document triggers Mountain Lion's auto-save feature, meaning the next time you open the original document, those changes will still be there. This could be a potential nightmare for document version management. My own testing in TextEdit and Preview documents showed that Mountain Lion's handling of the "Save As..." function wasn't at all what I've come to expect from nearly 30 years of using Macs. Anyone not familiar with the esoteric intricacies of Mountain Lion's auto-save behaviors (in other words, the overwhelming majority of users) is likely to fall into a panic the next time they open their original and supposedly preserved document only to find something else entirely in front of them. Mountain Lion's use of auto-versioning means you can always revert the original document back to its pre-"Save As..." state -- but we shouldn't have to, and counting on everyday users to be capable of navigating through the Versions interface to find their original document seems foolhardy at best. No. Just no. All of this means that the triumphant return of "Save As..." to Mountain Lion has turned out to be not so triumphant after all. The way the command worked in the past, your original document would be preserved without edits and would be waiting for you in its original state the next time you opened it. The new behavior in Mountain Lion is more complex, far more confusing, and has far more that can go wrong with it. Some people might say that the old methods of document management and versioning are old-fashioned, and the new way is better. As someone who regularly works on complex projects demanding meticulous version tracking, I respectfully disagree. This isn't necessarily a "bug" in Mountain Lion, but it is conspicuously incongruous behaviour -- and it's also something Apple can improve for users, if it chooses to do so.
LaCie reveals new Mac-friendly USB 3.0 external drives
Lacie's just announced its next generation USB 3.0 drives meant to take advantage of the new Ivy Bridge internals of the latest MacBooks. The fresh Rugged Triple, Porsche Design P'9223 and P'9233, and RuggedKey models all use USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UAS) for maximum data transfer speeds to and from machines running Lion or Mountain Lion. If you're looking to pick one of these slick storage devices, they'll be available in Apple stores and on LaCie's website this summer.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Will my brand new refurb Mac come with Mountain Lion?
Dear Favourite Aunt TUAW, I'm using British spelling in honor of the Olympics. I know that I haven't called lately but I've been very busy waiting for my new Refurb Mac mini. It's going to replace my trusty but aging 2007 edition. I've fetched my Firewire cord and have the step by step method of transferring data, etc... and then it struck me - will the new Mini come already equipped with Mountain Lion? How will that affect the migration? I can't sleep as I fret about this, so please offer your expert advice. Thanks... Your 16th favorite nephew, Mark Dear Mark, Auntie's pretty sure that "Aunt" is spelled identically on both sides of the Atlantic, although she should point out that you (and all of her nieces and nephews) have always been her favourite. (See what she did there?) Auntie gave Apple a call and confirmed that refurb minis qualify for the Up to Date program. You'll be able to upgrade for free. What's more an Apple rep confirmed that the migration assistant will work between OS versions, so you'll be able to move your data from the original Lion install to your new mini -- whether you've already upgraded it or not. Cheers, pip pip, and Tally-Ho (two can play at that game), Auntie T. P.S. Uncle Rich is now squirming. Not just because of Auntie's take on the entire British Empire, but also because he's not a huge fan of Migration Assistant's reliability. He writes, "Migration Assistant [redacted] impressively on my iMac. I extracted my MBP HDD and put it in a USB caddy. Told Migration Assistant to use it as the source and let it do its thing. Rebooted; system seemed good. Disconnected the USB drive... and it stopped booting. Something I had on the old OS X install was cross-connected to the USB HDD, and wouldn't start without it! Never did figure out what it was. In the end I did a clean install of Lion, then told Migration Assistant to move only my home directory and not any of the other settings or apps. I had carried my OS X install forward from Leopard onwards, so it was high time for a clean out anyway." #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Tweetbot for Mac's latest alpha adds experimental 'snap-together' column layout
Tweetbot's been offering a rough-around-the-edges alpha version on its upcoming refresh for a few weeks now, but it's the latest update that's caught our attention -- again. There's several substantial changes that could tempt you away from other desktop Twitter clients. These include a new multiple account view, with separate columns that can either be docked to your main feed or left in their own window. You can spin out mentions and search results into their own space, and even adjust each column's height and width -- if you're looking to squeeze even more Twitter content into a single screen. A new menu bar icon offers access to your multiple accounts, new tweets, direct messages and mentions, while the latest build also improves support for media upload and Mountain Lion's notification bar. Tweetbot's alpha is still free to try for now, but once the kinks are eventually worked out, expect to pay for the finished article.
Poll: Is Mountain Lion devouring your Mac's battery life?
We've seen plenty of users report that Apple's latest OS, Mountain Lion, has caused a massive drop in battery life. While we haven't been able to confirm any decrease in longevity with our own OS 10.8 machines, which include previous generation MacBook Pros and the company's latest Retina model, it's clear that some of you who were able to get the operating system downloaded and installed have experienced some not-so-favorable side effects with your Pros and MacBook Airs. While there are plenty of theories, there has yet to be a fix, though Apple is reportedly investigating the issue. This isn't the first time users have reported decreased battery life after an OS update, with a lengthy support thread popping up after Lion's release last year. So, how has the upgrade affected you? Sound off in the poll below to let us know.%Poll-76894%
Dear Aunt TUAW: Disappointed over AirPlay Mirroring hardware cutoff
Dear Aunt TUAW, With the new launch of Mountain Lion and its new features, I have somehow started looking at my old mid-2009 MacBook Pro with disdain. One of the features I looked forward to was AirPlay Mirroring which unfortunately my older model can't support due to hardware limitations. [This is causing no small amount of consternation among Mountain Lion upgraders, many of whom expected the feature to work universally. –Ed.] So my question now is, do I really need a new laptop? My hands are itching to get one. Maybe my question should be, what should be the cycle for upgrading laptops (but this is probably more personal). Would appreciate your help and guidance. Thanks. Your loving nephew, Dare Dear Dare, It's never the wrong time for a nice new Mac, if you can afford it. If not, AirParrot is just ten bucks and gives you the same kind of AirPlay mirroring, albeit with more burden on the Mac's CPU and some quality tradeoffs. In return for your $10, AirParrot offers two killer features that Mountain Lion does not. First, you can limit mirroring to a single window. Second, you can use it with an HDTV/Apple TV combo to extend your desktop! Why just mirror to your HDTV when you can use it as an extra monitor? As for Auntie's laptop upgrade cycle, it goes like this: she only buys hardware when she absolutely utterly cannot avoid doing so. It looks like a new Mac mini is in her future, although she hopes to hold off for a 2012 refresh. If not, she's buying a refurb 2011 mini and upgrading it to within an inch of its life. It will fit in perfectly with Auntie's lace doilies and Precious Moments figurines. Hugs, Auntie T. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Distro Issue 51 arrives with an in-depth look at Apple's Mountain Lion
In case you hadn't heard, Apple released the latest version of OS X recently. As expected, the newfangled Mountain Lion operating system touts a number of added features -- some of which bring it even closer in sync with iOS. In this week's issue of our e-magazine, the beast steps out into the spotlight and we offer a word or two (a few thousand, to be exact) in our full-length review of the software. If the work of the folks in Cupertino isn't exactly your cup of tea, we also give the new Outlook.com and T-Mo's version of the Galaxy Note a close examination with the Engadget fine-toothed comb. HTC's Eric Lin takes a shot at the Q&A, "This is the Modem World" discusses gadget smells, "Reaction Time" chats about blockbuster releases and "IRL" exposes more of the devices that we use on the regular. Trust us, you'll want to get comfortable this time around. Kick your shoes off and head to your download link of choice to get started. Distro Issue 51 PDF Distro in the iTunes App Store Distro in the Google Play Store Distro APK (for sideloading) Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me find Mountain Lion posts
Dear Aunt TUAW, Hello, can you provide me with a link to access all the Mountain Lion 101 articles instead of having to bookmark each individually? Your loving nephew, Graig Dear Graig, This is probably something that should be in TUAW's site operations manual. (We don't actually have an operations manual, but we do have a guide to the site's current design.) Every story on TUAW has tags. You can find them and click them in the Tags section at the bottom of each post. Any story tag can become a link, just like this: http://tuaw.com/tag/mountainlion101 Some of the tags you'll be interested in include Our excellent "getting started" 101 series; General coverage and how-to tips; Preparing your computer for the upgrade; and News reporting Auntie hopes you'll have lots of fun reading these posts. We've all put in lots of hours writing them up, and she's sure you'll find something there to engage, inspire, and amuse. Hugs, Auntie T. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Mountain Lion's AirPlay Mirroring + Reflector = infinite regress fun
In case you were wondering what would happen if you took Mountain Lion's new AirPlay Mirroring capability and mixed it with the third-party AirPlay utility Reflector... well, it's pretty much exactly what you would expect. Your screen turns into a live example of the barbershop effect, and the only way to get out of the infinite zoom is to quit the Reflector app. You can see the high-res version of the image on our Flickr page. Might make for an interesting desktop picture. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Why apps in Mountain Lion might need to see your address data
In OS X Mountain Lion, Apple has added extra protection around the address book and restricted apps from gaining access to the contents without a user's permission. This added security is beneficial for users, but it poses a communication problem for developers who need to access the address book for feedback or crash reports, says Daniel Jalkut in a post on his Red Sweater blog. Developers who generate a bug report or feedback request within their app must deal with the foreboding dialog shown above when they try to populate the fields of a contact form using data contained in the "Me" card. Not only does the dialog confuse the user, it also makes it appear that the app is doing something nefarious when it's actually not. Working off a tip from Panic founder Cabel Sasser, Jalkut has devised a way to add a friendly tone to the dialog that'll explain to users why the app needs to pull information from the address book. According to Jalkut, you can modify the Info.plist file and add a string for the NSContactsUsageDescription key. This key will tell the user why the app needs the contact information and will appear the first time the app tries to gain access to the address book. You can read more about this solution on Jalkut's Red Sweater blog and in the documentation on Apple's website. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Top 10 subtle Mountain Lion features (and a few more)
Lifehacker has put together a list of what they call the "top 10 secret features of Mountain Lion." That's not quite right -- these features aren't secret, because it would be pretty silly to release an OS update and not tell anyone about it. But they are subtle, and this is a nice list of features you may not have noticed yet. For example, the fact that you can tweet right from the top of Notification Center, or that you can share photos straight from QuickLook using the Share button. You can also rename files in TextEdit (or share them to iCloud) just by clicking on the document's name at the top of the window, and you can even insert pages into PDF files in Preview through the Edit menu. Helpful tips, for sure. We'll even add a few more features in that you may not have noticed yet: Over in Launchpad (which you can access from your dock or pressing F4 on a new Mountain Lion install, or set up a hot corner for), just typing will start you on a search for any app you've installed through the Mac App Store. And you may not have noticed, but Apple's added some brand new Screen Saver and slideshow options for when your Mac goes to sleep. Just like Apple's other OS releases lately, there's a lot of new stuff to go find and play with in Mountain Lion. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
AppFresh update manager out of beta for Mountain Lion
Now that Mountain Lion is out, developers are starting to roll out updates that'll make their apps compatible with Apple's latest OS. Users can easily keep up with all these changes using AppFresh for Mac. This utility from Metaquark will keep all your applications, widgets, preference panes and plugins on their latest version with minimal effort on your part. AppFresh gets its update information from Apple's system updates, RSS-based Sparkle updates and the repository of app updates maintained at the "i use this" website. It integrates with Growl notifications and will alert you when an update is installed. AppFresh is available from the Metaquark store for US$9.99, and works on Snow Leopard and Lion in addition to Mountain Lion. This discounted price is in effect until August 15, at which point the price will go up to $14.99. You can find out more about AppFresh on Metaquark's website. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Apple releases SMC updates to enable Power Nap in Mountain Lion
If you have a Mountain Lion machine eligible for Power Nap, one of OS X's new marquee features, you should check Software Update (via the Mac App Store) to make sure you've got the latest firmware. The enablers for the 2011 MacBook Air machines and the 2012 models were released on July 25, and the SMC update for the Retina MacBook Pro arrived on Friday. Apple has posted all three enablers on a single page.
