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TUAW Tip: Aperture keyboard shortcuts for scrolling through your library
Click To Play play_blip_movie_291511(); One of the things I mentioned in my Aperture podcast that I love so much about this app is its plethora of features designed especially to increase efficiency for power users and pro photographers. This tip centers around Aperture's keyboard shortcuts that allow for some very useful navigation and scrolling of the library browser, which is the pane that displays thumbnails of all the images in the currently selected album, project or folder. Instead of just explaining the shortcuts or giving you a screenshot, however, I thought I would go one step further and put together a short demo video of the shortcuts and the browser in action, additionally pointing out the small shuttle control on the right that helps detail just how quickly you're scrolling. It isn't anything fancy, but it should give you an idea of just how cool and actually useful this feature is.For those who want the actual keyboard shortcuts, they are: J, K and L to scroll up, stop and scroll down, respectively.
Punch-Out!! outtakes take the sad out of us
You know, for how good the winning film was in the Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase, we had a different winning video in mind (no doubt you did, as well). It was the epic story of a man dealing with loss and rising to the occasion when he thought himself all but hung out to dry. It was something so good that to scour the deadly, sharp pages of the largest Thesaurus in order to obtain synonyms to describe how immaculate it is would not be a lifetime wasted. So, how do we honor such a film of spectacular greatness? By laughing at all the bloopers the actors made in the video, past the break.
Congratulations to the Short Cuts winner
The Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase is officially over. After (no doubt) careful consideration of all the finalists, it has come down to one. The winner is Jack Paccione's Good vs. Wiivil, a short film about a waggle fight over an Everyman's very soul.Paccione will win $10,000, a trip to New York, a screening of his film at the Tribeca Drive-In Short Film Series, as well as a Wii, a DS, and a bunch of games for both. Perhaps most impressively, he's earned a spot for his video after the break of this very post.
Short Cuts showcase finalist shows us the Nintendo offices
We've seen some entries in the Nintendo Short Cuts challenge and Nintendo has gotten their top ten favorites already picked (you can find them all, and vote, here). We have to give it to this group, though. When an employee is called into Bowser's office and must dodge all the flames and fireballs, we were cracking up.Check out the entry past the post break.
Nintendo Short Cuts finalists are chosen, voting opens
The finalists in Nintendo's Short Cuts contest have been chosen and their videos now reside over at the official site for the contest. There, viewers can not only catch an eyeful of the submissions, but also vote on which they think is best. You know what, though? Our favorite entry isn't even in the top ten! How horrible is that?!So, tell us, what do you think is the best entry of the final ten?
By our consoles combined, you are a Nintendo Short Cuts entry
Reader Joe sent us his entry in the Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase competition and we have to give it to him and his friends. Having a Track and Field pad for a cape and a hollowed out NES for a mask are just too good. He's like a deformed combination of Batman and Captain Planet. See what we mean past the post break.
The Short Cuts entry that better freaking win
We thought we'd given up posting Nintendo Short Cuts entries as a veritable flood of applicants submitted their works shortly before the deadline, but sister site Joystiq posted one that's simply way, way too good.The above "movie trailer" for the NES classic Punch-Out!! is rife with 8-bit references, as the creators shrewdly blend recognizable game artwork into live-action scenes. The acting (especially Von Kaiser's) is top-notch, production values sky-high, and the music made us replay the last minute of the trailer nine times just to rock out. If Hollywood really knew what was up, this would have been made instead of the lukewarm Rocky Balboa last year. We officially stamp our vote of approval on Team Awesome, and wish them the best of luck.They probably won't need it.
Put your computer in water to watch this Short Cuts roundup
The Nintendo Short Cuts film contest has been great for us. We didn't make any films, nor are we giving away any prizes, but we still get to reap the benefits and share lots of Nintendo fanworks with you. The two we're highlighting today are probably our favorites yet.The first video retells the plot of one of our favorite NES games, StarTropics, in a much more subdued style than the original version. It kind of looks like some college dudes were bored one afternoon and decided to go enter the Nintendo thing or whatever. It's astoundingly deadpan, and the total opposite of yesterday's Zelda video.The second video comes from TheTanooki.com, and is a special-effects packed action adventure that mashes up reality and the World of Nintendo. It's got Mother Brain in it, so it's awesome.
Wii Warm Up: Short cuts
We've been talking a lot lately about Nintendo's Short Cuts Showcase, because entries are popping out all over. We were just curious -- did any of you enter the contest? Maybe someone you know did? We'd love to hear about the stories behind some of the videos we're starting to see. For those of you who are only watching the contest unfold, like we are, what do you think so far?
Nintendo Short Cuts: Be the hero!
It must be hard, getting your friends together, making costumes, and getting props set up in under a week, if the story posted along with this video is true. Time constraints didn't prevent these Zelda fans from getting their send-up on film in time for the contest's deadline. The costuming looks pretty good, too, but we can't help but wonder if groups like this fight over who gets to be Link. Are they hiding bruises under those robes and tunics? We'll bet yes, but judging from the choreography of the fight scenes, it's likely no one got hurt too badly. Swing those swords like men, Zelda fans (or like angry women; we're all about equal opportunity swordsmanship around here)! But props on the setting, costumes, and music -- not bad for a rush job! Check out the video for yourself after the jump.
Nintendo Short Cuts entry is a thinly-veiled excuse for cosplay
Another entry for Nintendo's Short Cuts Showcase film contest has appeared on YouTube. You know, when we first read about this contest, we were expecting a lot of short films in different genres that cleverly integrated Nintendo elements into the storytelling-- conversations taking place during games of Mario Kart, a Clerks-style comedy set inside a game store, or something like that. But so far, the would-be Señor Spielbergos have all taken the direct, literal approach.This latest entry is the most direct yet-- a bunch of people dressed up like Zelda characters and adventured around on camera. It seems to follow Ocarina of Time, but then what Zelda fan works don't? Hey, even if they don't win, these kids were able to justify buying a Master Sword, so that's ... something.
Now presenting the second Nintendo Short Cuts entry
While the first entry for Nintendo's Short Cuts contest was well made, it really doesn't have much for this second entry. This second entry is actually humorous and hits us right where we live as it features a man and his love for Nintendo. It's a love we feel every day as we clock in here at Fanboy Towers. But, love isn't what you always expect, no?Head past the break for the video.
First Nintendo Short Cuts entry uploaded to the tubes
The first entry for Nintendo's Short Cuts Showcase contest has hit You Tube and, as one might expect, it centers around a certain lad with a fondness for the color green. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of what Nintendo is exactly looking for and improve your chances at acquiring that wonderful prize of $10,000 USD. Wonder how much that would be in Rupees?Video has been embedded past the break.
Nintendo looking for the next Uwe Boll
Have you ever watched the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. and thought "Hey, I could make a better Nintendo movie than that!"? You're not alone. Studies show that a majority of humans who have ever lived have had that thought at some point, including a young Uwe Boll (we all saw how that turned out) and Ed Wood, which is scientifically silly. Now, Nintendo's giving amateur filmmakers the chance to show that they can do justice to the Nintendo brand ... as long as they can do it in under 5 minutes.The top three entries in the Nintendo Short Cuts Showcase will be screened at Rockefeller Center next month and the pick of the litter gets its maker a trip to NYC, $10,000 and a meeting with Craig Hatkoff, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, who promises to listen intently show up. All you need to be considered is a 3-5 minute movie that in some way relates to Nintendo and is submitted to them by June 6. Oh, and you have to be better than this guy, which is impossible. Good luck!
Your Elite Beat Agents screenplay + a video camera = an easy $10,000
Nintendo is giving all of you auteurs a chance at some exposure, cash, and Nintendo swag, and all you have to do in return is mess around with a camera. They're asking for entries for their Short Cuts Showcase, to be shown at the Top of the Rock in New York City's Rockefeller Center.To enter, make a three-to-five minute film that includes something Nintendo-related and submit it on CD or DVD by June 6. If you're not up for the Elite Beat Agents theme, may we suggest a courtroom drama? Also, if you happen to have DS Fanboy open in the background of your movie at some point, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Johnny, tell them what they'll win after the break!
Keyboard shortcuts for IMing on the 360
If you're looking to pull off those floating black text boxes for your Xbox 360 Windows Live Messenger fun, this little guide can help. Over on Xbox.com they've posted a Spring dashboard FAQ featuring a few keyboard shortcuts for the 360 IM'ers among us. Opening, closing, and navigating the numerous text boxes is a breeze with these keyboard shortcuts. Also included in the FAQ is one of those "corporate responses" to Xbox Live members having trouble signing up for the service. More specifically, they are looking into a fix for those who are over 18 years old, but created their accounts when they were under age. Yeah, it's a screwed up system, but we say no more. More reading after the jump.[Via Major Nelson]
KeyCue 35% off at MacZOT today only
Last October was when we first mentioned KeyCue from ergonis software, the utility that displays all the keyboard shortcuts for the app you're in, and even though I fell in love with it I somehow missed its update to version 3.0. Luckily, today's MacZOT was just the reminder I needed, as KeyCue is on sale today for only $12.99, a 35% discount from its regular $19.99. If you've ever wanted a handy birds-eye view of every shortcut for an app without having to dig around in menus and manuals, KeyCue is definitely the way to go. It even works with just about every app I've thrown at it, including Firefox and Photoshop. This latest 3.0 version added a performance boost of up to 10x when collecting shortcuts, as well as a theming engine with a new Dashboard theme that darkens the rest of the screen when activating the shortcuts window.KeyCue is a great app that I personally recommend, and it's a steal at today's MacZOT price.
Apple updates Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts doc
Keyboard shortcuts are one of the finer pleasures of computing, especially on a Mac. While we've been blogging all manner of these shortcuts, especially some of the gems in Mac OS X, there is always the One True Keyboard Shortcut Document to Rule Them All; the one maintained by Apple themselves. The doc came across my RSS feeds which means that it has recently been updated, though I admittedly couldn't tell you exactly what is new. When it comes to a list of shortcuts like this, I think I exhibit the Homer Simpson syndrome, where I always learn something new that inevitably knocks out one of the older shortcuts. Take Option-Command-Right Arrow when in the Finder's List View, for example - I have no idea if that's new (though I highly doubt it; List View has been around for ages), but it expands both a folder and all of its subfolders. Option-Command-Drag (again, probably not new, but new to me) to create a file alias in a new location will also prove darn handy, as my home network is finally demanding more and more use of aliases across my machines and hard drives.No matter how you work, taking a glance at this recently updated doc just might help you get things done a little better.
Mac 101: Tweaking your keyboard shortcuts
More Mac 101, TUAW tips for the new Mac user and for us forgetful veterans. I often hear a complaint from switchers and newcomers: "Why do I have to use the mouse for everything?" Of course, we all know that there are scores of keyboard commands waiting to be used, but some particularly helpful ones are less than obvious.Check out the Keyboard Shortcuts pane of the Keyboard & Mouse system preference panel. There you'll find my new best friends, "Move focus to the Dock" and "Move focus to the active or next window." With the first shortcut (control-F3 by default; note that on a laptop keyboard, you need to add the Fn key as well, lest you inadvertently mute your sound) you pop up your Dock, and you can select an application with the left and right arrow keys. Hold down the option key and you can relocate the selected app to another Dock slot. It's not a direct substitute for Command-Tab application switching, but it's still helpful.The second option works like a supercharged version of the Command-` window rotation shortcut, cycling through all your open windows in all applications -- similar to the difference between the F9 and F10 Expose options. This is a great timesaver when you've got two or three apps open and you need to swap between them rapidly.Have fun exploring the rest of the Keyboard Shortcuts pane![via Theocacao]
Unlock the full potential of the Wii browser
We'll tell you up front that by "full potential" we mean "decently handy shortcuts". We're dramatic like that, but only because we're so excited about browsing!If you never used the Opera browser on the PC, you may not be aware of the unique "mouse gestures" it employs. Moving your mouse in a certain pattern, or clicking the mouse buttons, can act as shortcuts for frequent tasks like back, forward, and reload. The Wii browser works in much the same way, with certain Wiimote button combinations mapped to browser tasks. Here's the full (known) list of Wiimote shortcuts:B+ D-pad up: RefreshB+ D-pad down: BookmarksB+ D-pad left: SearchB+ D-pad right: Enter new addressB+ (-) : BackB+ (+): Forward They may not be "hidden" (they're in the manual) but it's apparent that many users don't know about these functions. And we're happy to do anything to help you refresh Wii Fanboy more quickly.[Via GoNintendo]
