Photo Booth
Latest
These five surprisingly pointless OS X mods may amuse you
I recently went hunting for interesting OS X mods. For every useful item that turned up, I found lots of dead ends. Many items read by the OS X preferences system (through, for example, calls to CFPreferencesCopyAppValue) have little or no application to end-user needs. They're there primarily for the app's internal state or as remnants of Apple's development process. I've curated a bit of a slush pile for items that are interesting enough to take note of, but haven't quite made the grade when it comes to utility. Here are five of my favorite "interesting, but not very handy" tweaks that I've encountered while scanning for defaults or, in the case of the System Preferences one, that I've stumbled over while using an app. 1. Reset the Dock The OS X installer regularly leaves debris in your Dock. OS-promoted apps include such items as Mission Control, Safari, Photo Booth, iLife apps and so forth. Now, with a simple system command, you can restore all those apps in the Dock that you laboriously removed at least once before. Tip to the wise: Make sure you back up com.apple.dock.plist in ~/Library/Preferences before applying this one so you have a reference guide of your prefs to help you move back to. In the Terminal app, enter the following. defaults write com.apple.dock version -int 0 ; killall Dock Once the Dock restarts, it returns itself to its newly installed default glory. Admire the jam-packed contents before spending the next 10 minutes editing it back to the way it's supposed to look. 2. Prevent edits to the Dock If you're in a particularly evil mood and this is not your Dock, you might want to add this little default tweak. It prevents users from further editing the Dock contents. defaults write com.apple.dock contents-immutable -bool yes ; killall Dock To restore end-user editing, switch off the immutability: defaults write com.apple.dock contents-immutable -bool no ; killall Dock 3. Reveal desktop background paths This next tweak shows the paths for your desktop backgrounds on each of your screens. Why would you want to do this? One of my testers suggested it might help when you have a regularly rotating desktop background. For most people, it's not very handy at all. defaults write com.apple.dock desktop-picture-show-debug-text -bool yes ; killall Dock and going back: defaults write com.apple.dock desktop-picture-show-debug-text -bool no ; killall Dock 4. Remove pane icons from the main System Preferences window The System Preferences app consists of rows and rows of icons, which you tap to access individual settings panes. Did you know that you could tweak this presentation and remove items? I have no idea why anyone would ever want to use this feature, but it's a standard part of the app. To choose which panes to view, select View > Customize. Uncheck any item to hide it. You can still access all the panes from the View menu. Another option, View > Organize Alphabetically, replaces the category grouping with a large mash of alphabetically presented icons. 5. Add a useless debugging menu to iBooks for OS X This tweak does just what it says on the wrapper. If you've ever dreamed of a special secret app menu, then this is the system mod for you. (Similar mods exist for several other apps, so Google around to find some other exciting suggestions.) At the terminal, enter: defaults write com.apple.iBooksX BKShowDebugMenu -boolean yes And then launch iBooks. The new Debug menu appears to the right of other options. And there you have it. Five obscure and not-very-handy tweaks. Got any more tweaks you've stumbled across and want to share? Drop us a note in our tips line. We may cover your OS X mod in a future write-up.
Daily Update for February 2, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Webcam antics with Rita and Frank
Here's an unintentionally amusing and decidedly sweet video of an older couple, Rita and Frank, trying to photograph themselves with their computer, referred to in the video description as "their new Mac." According to YouTube, the couple wants to take a photo commemorating Frank's 84th birthday, which they'll then share with friends. As they wait in vain for the image to be snapped, they somehow managed to unknowingly shoot a video of the proceedings. We can only assume they're using a Flash-capture web app of some sort, as Photo Booth doesn't count down from 15. Of course, that's a guess. If you ask me, the result is much sweeter and far more charming than the photo could have been. Happy birthday, Frank! [Via Gizmodo]
DIY iPad photo booth captures the moments you might be too drunk to remember
Tired of the same old PC-enabled photo booth popping up at every wedding, Bar Mitzvah, and Secretary's Day celebration you attend? Well, you're not alone -- a German photographer named Rocco has tapped his apparent frustration over the conventional photo booth rig to create his very own iPad-connected setup. Rocco's arrangement features a Nikon DSLR, wireless flash trigger, and an iPad, using the ShutterSnitch app, stuffed into a little black box and connected to a foot pedal that allows partiers to hit the switch when they see fit. Once captured, the photos are transferred to the iPad's screen, allowing subjects to browse and email their favorite look-how-wacky-I-am shots. If you're looking to upgrade your photo booth setup for your next Rapture BBQ or World IPV6 Day celebration, follow the source link for instructions. [Thanks, Chris]
The iPad 2
Apple has just made its second-generation iPad official! It features a 1GHz dual-core A5 chip and, finally, cameras, both on the front and rear. The new CPU is said to be up to twice as fast, with graphics performance up to nine times better than on the original iPad, while power requirements have been kept the same. Battery life is, consequently, unaltered, with Apple promising 10 hours. Pricing, too, has been left unchanged, starting at $499 for a 16GB WiFi-only iPad 2 and stretching up to $829 for a WiFi + 3G SKU with 64GB of storage. The new tablet will come with an HDMI output capable of 1080p -- which will set you back $39 for the requisite dongle, called an Apple Digital AV Adapter -- but there will sadly be no rumblings of Thunderbolt connectivity here. What you will get is an enlarged speaker grille on the back, as expected, and the same 1024 x 768 resolution and IPS LCD screen technology as on the original iPad.Update: We've gotten our first hands-on with the iPad 2 and, boy oh boy, it's fast!720p video recording at 30fps will be on tap from the rear-facing camera, which can also do a 5x digital zoom if you're into that kind of thing, whereas the front-facing imager will record at a more modest VGA resolution, also at 30fps.There's a new cover for the device, which is best defined by Steve Jobs himself: "We designed the case right alongside the product. It's not a case -- it's a cover." Basically, it's a magnetic flap that protects the front and automatically wakes and puts the device to sleep according to whether it's open or closed. Guess we know what that proximity sensor was about now. These Smart Covers will cost $39 in plastic or $69 if you opt for leather.The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner than its predecessor, at a mind-melting 8.8mm, and a little lighter at just over 600g, while paintjob options have been expanded: you'll get a choice between white and black. It'll be available on both AT&T and Verizon, and all variants start shipping on March 11th. Apple Retail Stores will start sales at the unusual hour of 5PM, which will probably make online pre-orders the fastest way to get yours.%Gallery-118170%In terms of new software, Apple's launching iOS 4.3 alongside the new iPad and bringing with it much improved Safari performance as well as FaceTime, Photo Booth, iMovie and GarageBand (the latter two costing $4.99 a piece) apps specifically for the newly camera-enriched iPad. Personal Hotspot capabilities are also arriving in the latest version of the OS, but they'll be exclusive to the iPhone 4, so you won't be able to share your 3G iPad's connection. The minimum compatible version of iTunes for the new iPad 2 will be the freshly released 10.2.%Gallery-118177%You'll find Apple's official PR and some slick promo videos below, or you can keep your mouse clicking and check out our first hands-on with the iPad 2.
Apple iOS 4.3 coming March 11 with iPad 2, includes new AirPlay features and FaceTime
Along with the iPad 2, Apple's releasing the final version of iOS 4.3, which features the Nitro Javscript engine from Safari on OS X, new iTunes Home Sharing features that let you play content from desktop iTunes over WiFi, and the updated suite of AirPlay features from the betas -- including the ability for App Store apps to share audio and video. Apple's also finalizing the new option that lets you assign the side switch to either rotation lock or mute, and it's adding Personal Hotspot support. There's also those rumored iOS versions of Photo Booth and FaceTime for the new cameras. It'll be a free download for all iPads, the GSM iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS and the third- and fourth-gen iPod touch when it's released on March 11. When will it hit the Verizon iPhone 4? We don't know yet. %Gallery-118175%
Apple patent suggests Photo Booth for iOS
Patently Apple uncovered a new patent that describes an iOS variant of the Photo Booth app that may be under development for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The patent describes an image capture and effects system that can be triggered by external cues such as shaking your phone. A new setting for "Image Effects" is presented under the Wallpaper option that lets you turn on special effects for select camera applications. In addition to toggles for iPod video, the camera and the photo app, there are control options for audio, motion, location and camera data. There are several familiar Photo Booth settings, such as X-Ray, Glow and Thermal Effects, in these various sub-menus. The patent also describes a variety of audio, video and imaging effects that range from the complex waves and reflections down to the simple brush stroke and rotation. Taken as a whole, the patent seems to describe an image capturing application that automatically applies a variety of effects to your photos similar to the desktop Photo Booth application. Earlier this year, several circulating rumors suggested Photo Booth was coming to iOS. An unknown source of BGR claimed to have knowledge of a Photo Booth application for the iPad as well as an iPad version of the iLife suite. Adding some credibility to this rumor was the discovery of several references to PhotoBooth and PhotoBoothEffects within the codebase of iOS 4.3.
iPad camera apps discovered in iOS 4.3 beta, nobody surprised
Oh look, even more evidence that the next generation iPad will be equipped with cameras. The image above showing the three new iPad apps was discovered in the iOS 4.3 beta 2 by MacRumors. To be effective, the iPad's Camera and FaceTime apps would require both back- and front-facing cameras just like the iPhone 4. The Photo Booth app is new to iOS but already ships on Macs running OS X -- it could, presumably, use either camera to record snapshots (with filters) and video. And really, at this point, with such overwhelming evidence the only surprise would be for Apple to announce a new iPad without a camera.
Logitech's HD Pro Webcam C910 now ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime
Although Apple includes an iSight or FaceTime webcam in almost every Mac, the low resolution (640 x 480 pixels for most machines, 1280 x 960 resampled to 640 x 480 for new MacBook Pros) of the cameras has lagged behind the webcams available from other computer manufacturers. Logitech markets a large number of HD webcams, but few of them have been compatible with Mac OS X. Until now, that is. Logitech has announced a software update for the HD Pro Webcam C910, which is a 1080p-capable HD camera. Although the APIs used for Mac apps such as Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime currently support only 640 x 480 streaming regardless of the camera used, the new Logitech software provides video capture in both 720p and 1080p. The software is also capable of capturing still photos at 10-megapixel resolution, and includes Logitech's proprietary Vid HD video calling capability. The software allows integration with iPhoto and iMovie, and enables the C910 webcam to be used with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger and Gmail Voice and Video Chat. The HD Pro Webcam C910 has a suggested retail price of US$100 and is available at online retailers for around $20 less. If you already own one of these webcams and just need the software, it's available for download from Logitech. The release notes for the Mac software say that it will be updated to support other Logitech webcams in the near future.
Beware Photo Booth time stamps: It's a bug, not a feature.
One of our readers informed us that he was seeing some strangeness with Photo Booth time stamps. Photo Booth is the built-in Mac app that lets you grab stills or video from your iSight or attached USB or Firewire camera. It does the job dutifully, and with no issues... until now. Beginning on or about December 27, the app started creating file names that are exactly one year in the future. It's not getting the creation date wrong, that's just fine. But Photo Booth is now giving files names like 2010-12-29 at 11.00. It's not the end of the world, but if you are looking to find a file by date in the name, you're sure to be confused. The bug appears in Snow Leopard, and I haven't been able to determine if it appears in other, older versions of the OS. If you want to check the bug for yourself, take a snapshot with Photo Booth, and then look inside the Photo Booth folder inside the Pictures folder in your user directory. Let us know what you find. Perhaps Apple should re-name the app "Time Machine II." [Thanks to Oliver for the tip]
Found Footage: The do-it-yourself wedding photo booth
What do you get when you mix a MacBook, a US$99 printer, some Ikea shower curtains, and lot of wedding guests? In the case of Mac user David Cline, you end up with a very happy sister! During planning for his sister Helen's recent wedding, Cline looked into renting a wedding photo booth that would take pictures of guests, save a digital copy, and then print out a strip of photos for the guests to take home as a keepsake. The cost for the rental was prohibitively expensive -- about US$2,000 a day. David quickly decided that by combining his Mac, a special Automator workflow that he created, an Epson PictureMate Dash printer, an old wardrobe frame, and colorful shower curtains from Ikea, he could inexpensively re-create the functionality of the expensive rental. His Automator script prompted wedding guests for their names, took 3 photos, arranged the photos in a vertical strip, displayed the photos on the screen for the guests to view, printed out the photo strip, and then saved the individual photos and photo strips in digital form onto the Mac. After the wedding, the photos were uploaded to an online photo album. From the looks of the happy wedding guests, the Do-It-Yourself Photo Booth was a success. I'd venture to say that David Cline is ranking high in the standings for the "Brother of the Year Award."
Digital Foci's Photo Book displays RAW files, at home and in the wild
As Marlin Perkins used to remind us on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, naturalists have observed as many variations of the common frameus digitalus in nature as they have mammals of the felidae family. We've seen digiframes that are actually routers, digiframes that scan your old non-digital snapshots, and (sadly) digiframes that come pre-infected with a Trojan Horse or two. Doing its part for biodiversity, Digital Foci is back with what it calls a "Photo Book" -- another way of saying that they've put a digital photo frame in a "soft leather-like case," making for "a convenient, elegant photo display." The one interesting development here is support for RAW images -- otherwise, this is just another $189 / 8-inch / 800 x 600 / 4GB digiframe. In addition to all that, this guy supports the usual bevy of file formats (JPEG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, MP3, AAC, WMA, MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-4 SP) and boasts 2.5 hours of battery life. Wake up, guys -- there is some PR jazz for you after the break.
QuickTime 7.6 addresses security issues
QuickTime 7.6 is in the wild. Released today via Software Update and on Apple's support site, the new version "includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security." It also makes your whites whiter and your brights brighter while helping you avoid embarrassing social situations. More details via the update page: Video: Improves single-pass H.264 encoding quality; Increases the playback reliability of Motion JPEG media Audio: Improves AAC encoding fidelity; Audio tracks from MPEG video files now export consistently Application Support: Improves compatibility with iChat and Photo Booth As far as the security updates are concerned, the word from Ryan Naraine at ZDnet is that this patch closes several potentially serious holes that could have been exploited by malicious URLs or custom-payload movie files to execute code on target machines. Four of the seven issues addressed in this update were reported to Apple via the Zero Day Initiative, which encourages responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities by providing cash bounties for the researchers involved. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
FlickrBooth gets Leopard compatibility
We covered FlickrBooth a while back, when it was first released. FlickrBooth is a plug-in for Apple's PhotoBooth that allows you to instantly upload your creations to Flickr after taking the snapshot. The best thing about FlickrBooth 1.2 is that it now runs on Leopard. Some of the new features include: Automatic photo uploading now strips .jpg from the title SIMBL updated to 0.8.2 Growl updated to 1.1.2 FlickrBooth is available as a free download from the developer's website.
Mac 101: Photo Booth tricks
I've got a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old, so Photo Booth is a big hit in my house. They love to mug for the camera and send silly snapshot to grandma and grandpa. I've used it quite a bit, and thought I knew all the tricks.This morning, Macsupport has pointed out a few new ones. First, you can disable the countdown if you want to snap a photo immediately by Option-clicking the shutter button. Shift-click to disable the flash and finally press both the option and shift key to immediately snap a photo with no flash.These tricks seem to be unique to Leopard.
A collection of all available QuickPicks for Backup 3
Wishingline, a web design studio, has done .Mac members a favor and collected most of the QuickPicks that are available on the web for Apple's Backup 3. There are quite a few QuickPicks out there for everything from ecto to PDF documents, Photo Booth pictures to Shiira bookmarks, OmniOutliner documents and much, much more. Wishingline went so far as to list a number of the QuickPicks individually, or simply offer an encompassing package of everything they could find (scroll down about midway on the page for these goodies).The QuickPicks package is offered free from Wishingline, but remember: they didn't have anything to do with creating these (as far as I know); they just tracked them down and zipped them. If you want a QuickPick for one app or another, you should probably consult the app's author or check out these resources for creating your own.[UPDATE: Scott from Wishingline dropped us a comment to let us know that the QuickPicks linked from Wishingline are, in fact, home grown. Thanks for some rockin' QuickPicks Scott!]
Found Footage: Use iSight as an IR detector
Here's a useful tip for those that want to test the batteries of their Frontrow remote, or any IR remote for that matter. Use your iSight! Just fire up Photo Booth (or a test video window in iChat), aim the remote at the lens and press a button. The iSight can detect the infrared light just like other video cameras.
Why isn't Photo Booth free?
I inevitably ended up playing around with Photo Booth for a while. As much as I wanted to hate it as a frivolous bit of code on my new iMac, I have to agree with Scott. It's a cool little app.I also have to ask... why doesn't Apple release this for everyone? I mean, it's not a part of iLife (nor is Front Row). Why is Apple only offering these programs with new hardware? I'd think giving them away for free would be good karma for Apple.
