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Mac 101: Three Dock tips
There's a lot to love about the Mac's user-friendly desktop and one of my favorites is the Dock, otherwise known as "that spot at the bottom of the screen where all the application icons line up." Here are a handful of nifty tricks for the dock that new users might like to know about, and long-time users may have forgotten.
iPhone power tips from Mac | Life
Mac | Life has a huge roundup of "25 iPhone Power Tips"-- just in case you've been living under a rock since late June, here's everything you missed about the iPhone, from how to unstick a stuck slider, to using aluminum foil to insulate an audio cable from the iPhone's signal, to where to go for iPhone 411. Of course you're here already, baby, and if you haven't noticed, that we have a page completely dedicated to iPhone itself, then look no further.Some of the tips are a little obvious (like #6: surprise, surprise, if you can't see the camera button while the phone's turned away from you, place your finger before you turn it-- brilliant!). And there are plenty of omissions-- I know for sure that Battlefleet, the best game I've seen on the non-jailbroken iPhone, is missing, and there's nothing at all about Installer.app or any of the craziness you can pull off with that. That's a big deal, even though it may be a little more underground than Mac | Life wants to go.But there's some good info here, especially if you've just recently plunked down the cash to AT&T and want your tips all in one place. Just make sure to come back here and pay attention when you're done.
iPhone kinda supports playing any audio through a bluetooth headset
As I understand it, there are a lot of new DAPs and music-enabled mobile phones that support A2DP - a technology that allows devices to transmit stereo audio to Bluetooth headphones. It's all the rage with the kids these days, and many fans of cutting cables wherever possible were a bit disappointed when the A2DP acronym didn't make the iPhone's feature list. Thanks to a tip from TUAW reader Earle Davies though, the iPhone apparently does seem to support sending any audio - including music and the audio tracks from your videos - to a Bluetooth headset that isn't even enabled with A2DP - but it aint pretty. To tinker with this, you of course need to have a Bluetooth headset paired with your iPhone. I personally have an older HS-850, one of the first Motorola models with a microphone that flipped open to toggle the headset on and off. After you've switched your headset on and it's shaken hands with your iPhone, go into the Visual Voicemail screen and tap the Audio button in the upper right (which is otherwise a Speaker button when your headset isn't on and communicating with your phone). You'll receive an audio selection dialog much like the in-call dialog that allows you to chose where to send the iPhone's audio. As you might guess, select the Headset option, then switch over to the iPod and begin playing music or a video. This, unfortunately, is why I had to include 'kinda' in this post's headline - while the iPhone sends audio to both Earle's Motorola H700 headset and my HS-850, it still plays audio though the iPhone's speakers as well. It's a bizarre quirk I can't seem to figure out how to stop, which makes me think this is either an unfinished feature or, perhaps more likely, simply a side effect of some of the iPhone's functionality.Whether you can use this trick to get the iPhone to send stereo audio to a true set of Bluetooth headphones I couldn't tell you, because I own no such headphones. If you readers tinker with this more and help uncover more of what's going on here, please sound off in the comments.
100 amazing Mage tricks
If you're a Mage, this thread from the EU forums is definitely worth a read-- it's based on a Warlock tips thread (which I looked around for but couldn't find-- if you see it, let me know and I'll link it up for the locks) that basically ran down 100 basic and advanced tips for players of that class.If you're a super advanced Mage, you probably already know most of this stuff. The basics are here for sure-- use Blink judiciously to move in an out of range, use Sheep to interrupt casters, and downrank utility spells in PvP. But there's some other interesting things here as well-- I play a Shaman, and my first step when fighting mages (well, right after Grounding Totem) is to Purge all those buffs off. So casting Ice Barrier during my spellcast is ingenious-- either I have to interrupt to purge, or just let the barrier eat the damage.Especially for beginner mages, this stuff is gold. If you're in the mood for tips on how to make your mage better, check it out for sure.Update: Here's the Warlock thread. Thanks to everyone who sent it to me. Also, apparently the Warlock thread was based on a Warrior tricks thread. Anyone seen that one?
Mac 101: Easy Downloads
I mentioned simple Safari downloads in my recent iPhone ringtones post. Several readers contacted me asking if I could give a step-by-step description how to do this trick. The problem with downloading audio and video through Safari is that if you paste the link directly into the Address bar, the resources load into the Safari window. They don't download directly to disk. The easiest way to handle this is by right-clicking (control-clicking) a music or video link and selecting Download Linked File from the pop-up menu. However if you get your URL outside Safari and don't have a link to right-click, that method won't work. In the ringtones example, the URL was copied from a text file. To download a URL directly then, go into Safari and select Window -> Downloads. The Downloads windows open. Select it and paste your URL (Edit -> Paste or just type Command-V). The download begins immediately without having to open the file in an intermediate window and then save to disk. This trick has been tested with Safari 3, and several people have told me that it works for them in Safari 2. Let me know in the comments how it works for you. I tried it out in Firefox and can confirm it does not work there.
iPhone Tip: Don't even bother with the .com button
While typing on the iPhone is an arguably difficult / easy process depending on who you are, I figured out a handy tip for saving at least one button press - as long as you're going to a .com site. Just like a real browser, it appears that the iPhone will allow you to type in most .com URLs without having to type the actual .com or pressing the button. Simply press Go after typing the site name and MobileSafari should automatically insert the .com for you. It's worked in every site I've tried so far at least. A mere savings of one button press to be sure, but in my opinion, shaving off even one repeated key press can amount to a lot of saved time after a while.
Faster printing through Quicksilver or a simple drag and drop
At TUAW HQ we absolutely love Quicksilver, the powerful, incredibly extensible and indispensable productivity tool, as it's capable of speeding up just about any conceivable operation on your Mac. Still, with everything Quicksilver is capable of, I honestly never thought it could be used to help you print documents faster. Sure enough, I have been taught my lesson to never doubt Quicksilver's reach by Mark Fisher, author of this Faster Printing with Quicksilver. In summary, Fisher's how-to walks you through adding your printer to Quicksilver's catalog so it can be used as a target for sending files to print. Combined with the Quicksilver comma trick, you can send multiple files to your printer at once, all from the streamlined efficiency of Quicksilver's search interface. One downside to Fisher's tip, however, is that it requires a bit of digging around in Quicksilver, not to mention a decent workout training oneself through the app's arguably steep learning curve. If all this tinkering simply isn't your bag, there's a much easier trick I wrote about last year for creating a drag-and-drop desktop printer. This is much easier for virtually anyone to set up for themselves, and as a commenter on that post mentioned, you can drag that desktop printer to the right side of your Dock and delete the Desktop icon altogether, saving precious space for... well, probably all those documents you need to print off to begin with.Ultimately, either of these tips are a great way print your documents more efficiently, as they remove the need to open each individual app and print the documents manually, one by one.[via 43 Folders]
E307: Nintendo making magic for non-Japanese gamers
In the midst of everything else -- boy, we didn't think we'd be saying that after the keynote, at least in regard to the DS! -- bursting out of E3, we almost didn't notice this line on a release list of upcoming DS games: Nintendo Magic. Once we did, however, a collective gasp shuddered forth from the DSF staff as we realized that this rather vague name (which, for all we knew, could have been the release of the money-printer at last) was most likely Magic Taizen, the magic trainer that we thought might never make it outside Japan. It looks like we're not the only ones who've reached that conclusion. We can only hope we'll be learning some one-handed cuts and all about pulling rabbits from our clothing this November. DS games are a lot cheaper than buying magic books!
TUAW Tips: iPhone Safari Navigation Tricks
The iPhone offers some delightful navigation tricks in Safari. Here are a few of my favorites for you to enjoy and to use while scrolling though webpages: Page down. When not using a zoomed-in display, double-tap towards the bottom of the screen. The page will re-center around your tap. Make sure not to tap a link! Jump to the top. Double-tap the very top of the screen, just below the time display to pop back to the top of the page. (Thanks John C) Zoom onto a single picture. Double-tapping images in Safari zooms them to fit your iPhone display. If the picture is linked to a URL, this can prove a little tricky but it works great for non-linked images. Double-tap again to return to the unzoomed display. Zoom a column. You can zoom text columns as well as pictures. Double-tap on the column to fit it to the display. Double-tap again to return out of the zoom. Not only does Safari zoom block-quoted text independently of regular text but if you move your finger after the first double-tap-to-fit, it interprets the next double-tap as a re-center page command rather than a return-to-previous-zoom. Smart. Stopping a scroll. After flicking a page to get it to scroll, you can tap the page at any time to stop that movement. Don't forget, you can also manually drag the screen display to reset the part you're viewing. Manual zoom. This is probably one of the most-advertised Safari features (along with the flip-the-phone-on-its-side-trick) but it's worth mentioning again. To zoom into a Safari page, put your thumb and forefinger on the screen and move them apart. To zoom out, pinch the fingers together after starting with them apart. Examining the URL. To peek at a link's destination, touch and hold the link for a few seconds. You can also do this with images to see if they are linked. If a link appears and you don't want to activate it, just slide your finger away until the destination text disappears. Got some more tricks to add? Let us know in the comments.
TUAW Tip: Tapping on the capacity bar in iTunes
Many iTunes users are unaware that the capacity presentation for iPods and iPhones actually is interactive. Tap on the bar to switch from between views. These views include the default view (space occupied), an item-count view (number of items for each category) and a duration view (the length of playback for the items loaded onto the device). It's just one more sweet little Apple feature.
Mac 101: Locating files with the Title bar
You've got a window open, any window. A Finder window, say, or in many of the built-in Apple apps like TextEdit. Ever wonder exactly which directory you're looking at? Here's a simple trick that may be new to you if you're a switcher. See the name of your file or folder at the top of that OS X window? It usually has a small icon right next to it. Command-click the name or title in that title bar and OS X will show you the directory tree that leads down to the item you're looking at. And if you click on a folder in that list? Finder automatically opens a new window showing that folder. Very convenient.
Mac 101: Finding Dock-based items
Here's a simple trick to help you locate items from your Dock in Finder. Sure, you can Control-click (or Right-click) and item and choose Show In Finder from the contextual pop-up menu, but it's a lot easier simply to hold down the Command key and click the Dock item. (That's a left click for dual-button mice.) Command-clicking a Docked application or file automatically opens up a new Finder window showing the item in its folder. One TUAW reader suggested using this feature to make sure that Applications have been installed in the proper folder rather than being used from a disk image.
Mac 101: Dragging onto the Open dialog
These days, people do a lot of uploading to the Internet. Whether you're adding videos to YouTube, or sending pictures to your favorite hosting site, OS X offers a simple feature that really helps you locate your files. Although you can't drag and drop onto Internet sites, you can drag and drop files onto the Open dialog. The dialog automatically updates to the proper folder, saving you some navigating time by quickly getting you to the right place. Then it's just a matter of click your upload button to get things going. Give it a try. You may be surprised by the effort it saves you, particularly if you do a lot of uploads to websites and weblogs.
TUAW Tip: temporarily prevent your iPod from syncing
Out of the box, the iPod is designed to work seamlessly with iTunes, so the system automatically syncs (by default) when you connect your iPod. This is typically fine for most users, but what about those times when you don't want this tag team to kick into gear for one reason or another? Perhaps you just had a library goof-up, and you need to use iPodRip to recover some playlists or media files before iTunes syncs and blows either away, or perhaps you're just in a hurry and don't have time to sync down that new 1.5GB movie you just bought, though you you still need to dump some files over for work or class. Whatever the scenario, there are a couple of simple ways to arbitrarily prevent iTunes from working its magic on a case-by-case basis. The first method, I feel, is the least intrusive and most useful: assuming iTunes is running, all you need to do is hold down cmd+opt (possibly ctrl+alt on Windows, though I don't have a machine to test that on) when connecting your iPod to make iTunes look the other way and not begin a sync. The iPod should mount on your desktop and even appear in iTunes, but it simply won't sync. You're free to go about your business and eject the iPod as quickly as it mounted, with no argument from iTunes.The second method assumes that you have enabled hard drive use for your iPod, and you don't have iTunes set to automatically start when you plug the 'pod in. In this case, simply quitting iTunes when plugging in your iPod will solve your problem altogether. Simply do your business and eject to get on your way quickly.
15 Nifty command line tricks to set various options
UK website MacOSXTips has put together a list of 15 of their favorite command line preferences tricks. The tricks, which all use the defaults command, range from deactivating Dashboard, to showing hidden files in the Finder, to displaying all mail as plain text. I had a blast rediscovering some old preferences tricks and learning some new ones.
Rotate just one PDF page in Preview
Over at MacOSX Hints, a poster has figured out how to rotate a single page in Preview without affecting any other pages in a PDF file. The secret lies in the option key. By holding it down before clicking either Rotate Left or Rotate Right, you limit the rotation to the currently displayed page rather than the entire document. This is particularly convenient when you want to rotate a single portrait figure into landscape or vice versa. For those of you looking for the Rotate Left and Rotate Right icons while displaying your PDFs, be aware that you may have to resize your window to reveal the entire tool palette.
TUAW How To: Use your iTunes library over AirPort Disk
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/software/How_To_Use_your_iTunes_library_over_AirPort_Disk'; Last September we showed you how to keep your iTunes library on an external hard drive. While doing the same thing over an AirPort Disk with Apple's new AirPort Extreme Base Station sounds like it should more or less be the same situation, there are a couple of new catches to be aware of. Never fear, though - we'll outline what you need to know to truly snip the wires on your iTunes library.First, in order to do this right, we recommend backing up your library before snipping any cables (we also don't recommend actually snipping any cables; they can be expensive to replace). If you haven't gotten into the backup habit yet, Scott's How to Back your music using iTunes 7 tutorial is a great place to start. Now, on with the show.
iTunes Tip: sort by Album is smarter than you think
The most useful tips are sometimes the easiest to pull off, and this one from ryerye at Mac OS X Hints definitely falls into that camp. It turns out that iTunes' Album column can also sort with "Album by Artist" and "Album by Year." That second option is especially nice, since it's actually a 'Sort by Artist by Album Year.' All you need to do is keep clicking on the Album column to get whichever option you prefer; no extra modifier keys and no obscure tricks, though no documentation either, as far as I can tell.
Nintendo Wii mashed with YouTube = WiiTube
We were playing around with Yaplet tonight, and by complete chance we ran into the whirlwind of energy that is Gary Vaynerchuck. He REALLY loves two things; wine and the Wii. He doesn't just love them, either ... he is extremely charged up about both as we found out firsthand.Gary runs a website called Wine Library, where he sells wine. He also runs a "vidcast" about wine called Wine Library TV, appropriately enough, where there are over 186 episodes (!) about wine. He's not some snobby "We serve no wine before its time" Orson Welles-ish character, instead he's a bit 'in yo face!' and Marv Albert about things. Of course, he's from New Jersey, so can you blame him?However, what's even cooler (and of more interest to you, dear readers) is the latest site Gary has co-founded called WiiTube. It's meant to be a social site for Wii owners, with profiles containing Wii numbers, and also a spot for people to come to share tips and tricks. Can't beat a certain boss? Post about it on WiiTube, then someone can upload a video on the site showing how it's done. The site is built around Opera and meant to look great with the Wii browser. They also collect the best Wii videos and game trailers from YouTube and link them all in one central location, so you don't have to go searching through YouTube on your own and sift through loads of spam vids and those bizarre Japanese entries that are impossible to read. Gary and his team will be giving away Wiis through the site very soon, so you might want to head over and sign up if you're interested in something like, oh not much ... just a free Wii. Plus some Wii-centric goodness for your Wii browser.
Hide an Icon in the Dock
The über-Mac geeks over at mac geekery answer a reader question I have often wondered about myself: is it possible to hide an application's icon so it does not appear in your Dock, even though the application is running? And the answer is yes, if you're up for a little bit of relatively easy hacking. Apparently all you have to do is drill down into the Application package (right-click on the application icon and choose "show package contents") and add one key to its Info.plist file. JC warns that this may have some unintended consequences, as the "Dock controls almost all aspects of application switching," so if you do this you may "lose" the application and have no way to interact with it. In addition some applications "interact with their Dock icon programmatically" (e.g. the way Mail.app shows the number of unread messages in its Dock icon), so this is not a good idea for those programs. However, if you have something that must run all the time, but with which you don't interact much, and whose Dock icon you want out of there (e.g. the DynDNS Updater client), this is a handy tip. One word of warning, be sure to duplicate any application you decide to try this on first, so that you can go back if necessary. A second word of warning, this affects the menubar as well as the Dock.[Update: several commenters have mentioned Dockless, as a more user-friendly way of doing this. I originally misunderstood what Dockless did, but after a little more research it turns out that Dockless basically just automates the very same process this tip describes (i.e. changing the value of the LSUIElement key in the info.plist file).]
