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How To: Add a new iCal event from Quicksilver
A while ago we covered Quicksilver plugins for Gmail and Google Calendar, allowing you to send an email or create a new event (respectively) right from within Quicksilver's interface. If you aren't a Google Calendar user though, Quicksilver also offers the same kind of plugin for iCal. Somehow I lost this in my bloggable bookmarks, but last month Tim Gaden at Hawk Wings broke down the syntax for adding an event to iCal with this plugin, and it's really pretty simple. When entering text, the event is written like so: name of event - date and time name of todo - date and time !!! name of todo - date and time (exclamation points add priority. Two for 'important,' three for 'where's the panic button?!') Tim's post says to type the date and time first, but I've found that this plugin also includes the date and time in the event/todo's title. However, it can still properly place the event if you simply swap the two pieces and type the name first, which allows you to keep more legible event names. Also, this plugin has the handy ability of specifying a calendar to add the new event/todo.Here's an example of how to make this work in Quicksilver if you're a little confused. Obviously, you need to install the iCal plugin if you don't have it, and you can get it from QS's plugin preference pane. Here's how this breaks down, and I have the steps pictured above: Invoke QS, press period to get a text entry pane, and type something like: "dinner and a movie - 9/30/06 6:00 pm" (sans quotes) Tab over to the second pane where you must specify you want to turn this text into an iCal event. I type 'ic' to find an iCal event, and 'ict' for a todo, but as always with QS, YMMV Tab over once more to have your choice of calendars, and press the right arrow key to get a drop down list of all your calendars, or simply start typing to find one of their names. Fortunately, since you've already chosen a specific action in the middle pane, only your calendars are listed in the third pane That's it; if you're an appointment and todo junkie, this should take a sizable bite out of your daily mousing. The one catch so far is that it doesn't seem possible to add reminders through this method, but if you find a way, feel free to share with the class.
Walkthrough: iTunes 7's big new features
In case you missed it, one of the big announcements of today's It's Showtime events was iTunes 7, a major update that brought changes on nearly every front. Organizing, shopping, syncing - everything got a lot of attention from Apple's software engineers and, as you'll see throughout this walkthrough, a lot of polish has been applied to make this one of the most significant updates in recent iTunes history. First up are some of the basics: there has been a simple change to the iTunes Music Store's name; that's right, 'Music' has been dropped from the name, as the introduction today of movies (which we all knew were coming; more on those later), in addition to carrying TV shows for a year now, kind of begged the name change. As you can see, iTunes has also received a new, blue-ified icon. It has now gone from purple to green and now blue which, if you'd like a little bit of design trivia, is the human brain's favorite color to look at.This should offer a good overview of just how much the iTunes UI has been updated and polished, though impressively without any major or unsettling changes. Dan Lurie noted that it all has a very 'web 2.0-ish' feel, and I tend to agree. Since the iPod was a major player in today's events as well, I figure changes to the iTunes + iPod relationship are as good a place to start as any.
Walkthrough: Running Windows Vista on your Intel Mac with Parallels Desktop
I managed to get Vista running on my MacBook Pro in both a copy of Parallels Desktop and Boot Camp, but this post is only going to cover the Parallels side of things; my Boot Camp post is still in the kettle.For the most part, I would say Vista runs in Parallels Desktop just 'ok,' as opposed to 'really well' or 'it made an un-switcher out of me.' Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to offer full support for high-end graphics cards yet, so you won't get any of the fancy 3D effects or what I like to call Translucent Everything Technology™ (TET) that Vista boasts.Read on for a walkthrough of setting up, installing and running Microsoft Windows Vista on your Intel Mac via Parallels Desktop, including some catches to watch out for and just how far you can actually push this software, given Vista's still more or less beta/RC1 status and Parallels' as-yet experimental support.
Loco Roco Video Sandwich special!
The past few stories about Loco Roco have been a bit too depressing. Let's ignore the low sales and remember the good things about the game: like happy happy graphics and even happier music. That's what this fun, candy-coated Loco Roco fan video does. It showcases some images from the game and puts it to the absolutely fantastic music of the game. If this doesn't make you happy, then you've lost your childhood somewhere along the way.The bottom video of this special edition Video Sandwich shows you how to get every single secret in the downloadable demo. Pretty helpful for those of you that want to earn your Loco Roco Rewards the right way. It's intersting to see the things that you may have missed. (I know without this video, I would've never found that final fruit that I've been missing!)
E3: Kentia hall walkthrough
Kind of like the International Gateway at CES, we save this one for dessert. Kentia hall is basically the basement of the South hall, where all the smaller hardware and accessory manufacturers are relegated to since having a floor show presence in one of the main halls costs something roughly equivalent to the GDP of a small nation (and are sometimes similar in size). Kentia is also where all the dope old school arcade games get brought out of retirement, too. Click on to check out all the oddities E3's got to offer.
E3: South hall walkthrough
We trust that you've been watching our sister site Joystiq for their up to the second E3 coverage, but on the last day of the show we finally got ourselves out of our hovel and onto the show floor to take actually, you know, check out the show. Being that the West hall was essentially dominated by Nintendo and Sony, we figured we'd talk a leisurely stroll through the South hall after checking out Microsoft's hugemongous booth. Everyone from EA to Square Enix were camped out in the South hall, so if you want the E3 feel in 60 seconds or less, click on to check it out.
Hooking up a Mac Mini to your HDTV: If it doesn't just work
Then you probably don't have a television that includes a digital input like DVI or HDMI. If you own an older HDTV that is a likely scenario but not one that should prevent you from enjoying the 1080i Apple loving that our friend Ben has shared with us. robg of Mac OSX Hints.com has created a walkthrough for connecting a Mac Mini running OS 10.4 using RGB cables and adjusting overscan. Even if you're not a Mac-phile check out his page anyway for the DVD quality/HDTV quality comparison of the Harry Potter trailer available. Blow them up full screen and check out the additional detail noticeable even in those stills.Update: You can also get more information on Rob's HD experience with the mini in this article.
Levelling Locations: 11-20
Previously in the Levelling Locations series: 1-10At level 10 you're deemed big enough to venture out into the wider world. You'll probably be sent to a capital city on a quest to experience the hustle and bustle of urban life, and you'll start seeing life outside the "newbie zones" for the first time. You also get access to better armour, including your first green (uncommon) items, and you can take part in the PvP Battlegrounds. In many ways, life begins at 10!
