Archive for the ‘Using software’ Category
Mac OS X: 2D Dock in 10.5
I don’t mind the 3D look of the OS X 10.5 dock, but I often prefer the 2D look of the old dock. Plus, I prefer the more-obvious running app indicators from the 2D dock; I find these hard to see in the 3D version. Also, sometimes I just prefer the same look [...]
Get Windows key on an old keyboard
I have a particular love of IBM keyboards, both the clicky Model M (compact) as well as scissor-key ThinkPad keyboards. Neither of these, however, has a Windows key. This key is good for much more than popping up the Start menu, so I’d like to get it back. Also, I never use [...]
Sync two iTunes libraries
I have two Macs, and I use iTunes on both of them. My music library is managed on my MacBook, but I want access to all of the music on my Mac Pro at home without having to stream it. What’s the easiest way to keep these synchronized? We’re dealing with a [...]
It’s Chrimmistime!
This week has been a devastating one for AAPL stock, but undaunted by financial realities I am now awaiting the arrival of a new Mac Pro workstation. Seems like forever ago I began my wait for this hardware refresh so I could replace my aging PowerBook 17. Minorly awesome were upgrade prices for [...]
Laptop internets via Blackjack
Need access to internets on your laptop but you don’t have a cellular data card? If you have a bluetooth Windows Media smartphone (a Samsung Blackjack, for example) and an appropriate data plan, just run \Windows\Internet Sharing from File Explorer on your phone, select “Bluetooth PAN” under “PC Connection”, then connect to the device [...]
New iMacs, iPods nice in person
While at the mall tonight shopping for glasses, I slipped into the Apple store for another of my three-minute visits to check out the new hardware.
The new iMac is a gorgeous kitchen computer, even with the horrendous glare of its glossy screen¹. Unfortunately I’ll never buy an all-in-one.
As I expected, the new iPod Nano [...]
Software love: Thunderbird, Google Desktop
Windows Google Desktop love: Set “Quick Find” preferences to “Launch programs/files by default” to be able to run programs quickly. Hit Ctrl twice, start typing the program name, then hit enter to launch. (Mac Google Desktop is configured like this by default.)
Thunderbird Nostalgy plug-in love: Press “s” and start typing (with [...]
Vista desktop dead
I’ve been enthusiastically using 64-bit Windows Vista on my work desktop for the past few months, and with good luck. Until recently, that is, when it began to blue-screen on an alarmingly regular basis. I don’t know whether to blame a bad driver (most likely), bad hard drive (doubtful), or bad memory (very [...]
EMI goes DRM-free
The iTunes Music Store will offer DRM-free tracks from EMI, in a move that finally gives me a tiny bit of hope for the future of digital entertainment content.
Easy shots at Vista’s UAC
Apple has never been shy about taking cheap shots at Microsoft, and a new ad pokes fun at the very clunky User Account Control security feature in Vista.
What is so wrong about informing a user that an application is attempting to do something potentially nefarious? Most people have no idea what computer applications do [...]
Slingbox Pro is superb, but crippled
I got my Slingbox Pro this week, and the easiest way to summarize the experience is that it just works. It comes with all the cables you could possibly need. Plug it into the DVR, plug it into the TV, plug it into the network, install the software on my PowerBook, run the [...]
Mac Mini or MacBook?
Sometime early this year, I will give my mother my PowerBook 17 and replace it with either a Mac Mini or a MacBook. Either way, I plan to at least wait until this month’s product announcements. I may wait until OS X 10.5 is released.
I’m thinking Mini, since I keep the machine hooked [...]
MediaWiki on Ubuntu in 10 (minus 1) steps
On a fresh Ubuntu Server, installing and configuring MediaWiki is very simple. The following steps are all that is required:
Xgl on FC5, an easy install
A few quick yum commands from here to install and configure Nvidia drivers, and then a few more from here, and I had a speedy, slick Xgl OpenGL-accelerated X server running on Fedora Core 5. I am very, very impressed with the speed, and the bouncy/stretchy windows is some of the cleanest eyecandy I’ve [...]
Slimmer 40GB iPod?
New iPods rumored for release this week. I just want a slimmer 40GB unit. If a little more thought had been put into the Nanos being used as flash drives (built-in USB plug first comes to mind), I’d likely already have one. Contrary to my original predictions, I use the hell out [...]
Apple finally does a mouse right?
When Apple first came out with their first buttonless mouse design and phased out the tortureous hockey puck, I assumed it was really a mouse without pressable buttons (think 3G iPod buttons). Then, when I finally got to touch one, I found that they simply pivoted the whole mouse surface, turning the entire mouse [...]
Konfabulator is now free
Yahoo! has acquired Konfabulator, as well as famous Mac and Eazel designer Arlo Rose. Konfabulator is a cross-platform (Windows and Mac, anyway) widget framework. What you really care about is that it’s a sexy little eye-candy app that shows little weather notification widgets, convenient to-do lists, and even a little ladybug that runs [...]
Stephen Fry-narrated H2G2 on iTMS
Jeff already has this on CD, but I notice the iTunes Music Store now has the Stephen Fry-narrated unabridged Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in the audiobooks section. Stephen also narrates his own essay at the beginning of the Salmon of Doubt audiobook (basically a warm tale of two old-school Mac freaks), which iTMS [...]
NPR podcasts on iTunes
During his
Delicious reality
Depression, OCD tendencies, and brilliant software design often go hand-in-hand. This blog entry by Wil Shipley is an interesting personal account of the subject.
Wil is one of the founders of Delicious Monster, whose latest creation, Delicious Library 1.5, is absolutely wonderful. I bought, and absolutely love, this application. Thanks to another Will [...]