NZMac.com - Supporting the New Zealand Mac community

Setting your default email application

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Previously it was easy to tell the operating system which application you wanted to open and read your mail with by changing a setting in the System Preferences area. This setting is now hidden...inside Apple's default "Mail" program.

To switch to using a different program for viewing an sending email, launch the Mail program, go to the "Edit" menu and choose "Preferences". In the "General" section of the preferences window, you can change your default Email reader by selecting it or choosing in the pop-up menu as shown.

 

Last Updated Sunday, 09 March 2008

Quick closing of the navigation sidebar

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Every folder window that opens in Mac OS X Panther has a sidebar that provides you with access to your hard-drives, network places, applications, documents and more. However, at times, you might want to hide the sidebar.

It is possible to click and drag on the line separating the two parts of the window, so that the sidebar disappears. But a faster way is simple....just double-click anywhere on the column separating the sidebar area and the main part of the window (you can see where to click by where the cursor is in the picture above) and the sidebar will close.

Last Updated Sunday, 09 March 2008

Moving a folder via its icon

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When you are using a folder that is nestled deep in the dungeon of UNIX, you can simply move it to the desktop for faster consentient use. When its open in icon view, click and hold the folder icon on the upper title bar and then drag to the desktop. Magically the folder is now available from the desktop.
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

Moving files (not copying) across disks

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Traditionally, when you drag a file from one disk to another (or from one partition to another) the file gets copied to the new location and the original; remains where it is. This is frustrating at times, because when you want to move the file, you have to copy it across and then delete the original.

Instead, under OS X, there is a way to "move" a file rather than "copy" it. Simply hold the 'Command' (or 'Apple') key down before you click and drag the file to its new location. This will cause the file to be moved from one disk to the other and the file will disappear from its starting location.
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

Customising the toolbar

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Every window has a toolbar of buttons at the top. these include buttons to change the view (icon, list and column) as well as search your computyer for file.

Also, a new button has appeared known as the 'Action' button for soing things like assigning colour lebls to files and folders. Now while these buttons can all be taken on and off this toolbar bu going to the "View" menu and choosing "Cutomize Toolbar...", what you may not know is that they can sit anywhere you want at the top of each window. So, by holding down the 'Command' (or 'Apple') key, you can click and drag these icons around and place them on the left and right of the window in any order you want.

The moment you do that, all windows will take on the same look and placement of buttons. Even better for someone lime me, that doesn't have any need of the 'Action' button...you can hold down the 'Command' (or 'Apple') key and click and drag this button off the window and it will disappear in a puff of smoke. Any time you want any items back, you can go up to the "View" menu and choose "Customize Toolbar..." like before.

Last Updated Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Quickly put your Mac to sleep

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To quickly put your Mac to sleep without using your mouse, press the following keys at the same time: Apple, Option and Eject.
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

'Show Inspector' - advanced Get Info

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In the Finder, press the Option key before choosing Get Info from the 'File' menu, and you will see it has changed to 'Show Inspector'. Say hello to the file Inspector! This is the 'Get Info' window on steroids; it remains open and shows info for any file you then click on in the Finder. This saves you from having to open & close multiple 'Get Info' windows if , for example, you are wanting to change the permissions for multiple files.
Last Updated Monday, 10 March 2008

Quickly hide all windows/programs

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Ever had lots of programs and windows open at the same time, and want to hide them all quickly, to get back to the desktop? Try this: hold down Option and Command (Apple) keys and click the desktop. This will hide ALL currently running programs. Very quick and saves you from having to use Command H for each program.
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

How to check the health of your hard drive

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Most disk drives include S.M.A.R.T. hardware developed by IBM that allows hard disks to test themselves for potential problems. You can check the health of your hard disk in Disk Utility, located in Applications/Utilities.

To check the status of a disk, go into your Applications folder, into the Utilities folder and double-click on the Disk Utility application. Click on your hard drive disk in the left-hand column (make sure you click on the disk name and not a partition). Look at the bottom of the window to see the S.M.A.R.T. status (as shown in the example below).

If your disk is "verified," it's a valid disk with nothing wrong at this time. If you see "About to Fail" in red letters, back up your disk immediately and have the disk replaced. It will fail.

Taken from this page at Apple that includes more information.

Last Updated Monday, 10 March 2008

Zooming the screen on a flat-panel Mac

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Pretend your pokey 15-inch flat screen is really 22-inches or bigger. If you have Jaguar OS 10.2 or above you can. Press this combination of keys: 'cmd (apple key) & option & 8' to access this ability. Now you can zoom in on your screen using 'cmd & opt & +' keys, and zoom back out using 'cmd & op & -'
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

Rotate desktop background

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This is useful for people who are tired of their static backgrounds.

• Open System Preferences.
• Select 'Desktop'.
• In the Collection drop-down menu, select Pictures Folder or Choose Folder depending on where your pictures are.
• Check the Change Picture box and from the drop-down menu, select the interval between the change of picture. For a noticeable slide-show, try every 5 seconds.Now you have a changing slide-show in your desktop, just like a screen saver.

Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

Invert your screen to greyscale

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Press 'Apple' and 'option' and 'ctrl' and '8'

Usefulness? Limited! But it's certainly fun. May be helpful if you want to take notes on your laptop in a dark lecture theatre.One potential use is that the screen is easier to read in low light, low screen power setting if it is set to greyscale. This will probably also help you to save battery power if you are using a Powerbook. It's also easier on your eyes.

Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

How to I install software from a .dmg file?

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A ".dmg" file is a disk image file. This is a series of files, an application or an application installer that is in a compressed format (to help with downloading off the net) that you can then 'mount' (load a temporary virtual disk) on your Mac to get the software from the disk image and onto your Mac permanently.

Let's take a look at installing the OmniWeb web browser. When you go to the Omni Group site, you'll download a ".dmg" file like the one you see here.

Variation 1 - An application that needs installing

Variation 2 - Clever dragging and dropping

• Some people mount a disk image and then try to use the application on the disk image from there, rather than dragging a copy of the application to their "Applications" folder. In most instances this is not a good idea.
  
  
• Some people forget they haven't made a copy of the application in their "Applications" folder, then find it hard to eject the disk image or wonder why the application has disappeared next time they start their computer. If you're having this problem, you probably didn't install correctly the first time.

Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

How do I import album art into iTunes 7?

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Here are four ways that you can add artwork, with explanations as to the advantages and disadvantages of each. Note that I've ignored programs such as Clutter, which are a variation of the artwork collection and display approach. They are listed from the most recommended approach to the least.

Approach 1 - iTunes itself
iTunes 7 and above feature an option to import album artwork. This can be done on the basis of importing an entire library of songs artwork or on an individual song-by-song basis. The good thing is that if you have a number of songs from the same album in iTunes, it should figure this out and apply the same artwork to each song.

The advantage is that it can work through songs quite quickly and there is an easier way to change or remove artwork (right or control-click on a song and choose the option from a pop-up menu) making it easier to fix up mistakes. The disadvantage is if you have somehow manually added songs and their title and album cover names into iTunes, it may not find the right match.

Approach 2 - Widget search
The superb freeware dashboard widget Amazon Album Art Widget is specifically designed to try and track down album covers for you, usually offering many cover alternatives. If you see the right one, just click the widget to have it add the art to the current song playing in iTunes.

Approach 3 - Corripio
Corripio is a freeware/donationware program for fetching artwork and lyrics for songs from a number of sources. It is currently at version 0.7.2 which means the author still considers it under development and not worthy of being listed as Version 1. This is generally seen as acknowledgement that the software needs improving and you'll find that Corripio is a little buggy and there are some areas of the software that need improvement.

Using Corripio is very easy once you get the hang of it. Open up the application and it will load a list of your songs. You then select a song that you want to find the album artwork for (you can see an example in the image above) and then indicate how you want the program to search for a good match. In the example above, I've told it to search by album name for a Coldplay song.

Corripio has now searched for artwork and has shown me the various options that I have (in the example in the above, it's found the prefect match) so you just click on the image and click on the "Select" button. It will then assign that image to the song in iTunes.

But wait, if you've got a whole album in there, list them in order in Corripio, click the first song and then shift-click the last (in other words, select all the songs in that album) perform the search again and it will assign the artwork to all the songs.

 

Approach 4 - Search, drag and drop
The final suggestion is the most time consuming, but can solve the issue if the methods earlier can't find artwork for you. Go and find it yourself using your favourite search engine (such as Google)!

Then once you've saved the artwork image from a website to your Mac, start iTunes up, get the song playing (this is just the easiest way to indicate what song you are choosing in iTunes), from the "View" menu in iTunes make sure that "Show artwork" is selected and then drag the image file into the small window where the artwork is displayed.

In the example on the above, I've actually selected multiple songs that I want the same album image applied to.

Convinced you're not going to be able to find all that album art? Well one neat way to try and find as many matches as you can, is to upload your music list to this site (art4itunes.com) and get it to try and find the artwork for you. I was moderately pleased with the results.

Last Updated Monday, 10 March 2008

Using older printers with Mac OS X

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If you are unable to print to your favourite (but maybe slightly older printer) go to http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net and get Gimp Print. It allows you to print to many printers not supported in OS X and you won't even know it's there.
Last Updated Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Deleting files that won't delete

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Sometimes Mac OS X just doesn't want to delete files, this is away which you can delete files that normally wont delete through the trash can.

• Open up the Terminal
• type "rm -r" (Without the speechmarks. DO NOT PRESS RETURN)
• now find the file drag it into the Terminal and press return.

This instantly deletes the file. You can also use it for folders.
Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

Safari keyboard shortcuts

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In Safari, you can select the toolbar bookmarks by pressing cmd-1 through to cmd-9. However, it only works for the first nine bookmarks. The bookmarks bar isn't counted, and neither is are pop-down menus, such as the "news" menu in the default setup.
Last Updated Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Set the default Internet browser application

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Previously it was easy to tell the operating system which application you wanted to surf the web with by changing a setting in the System Preferences area. This setting is now hidden...inside Apple's default "Safari" web browser. To switch to using a different program for surfing the web, launch Safari, go to the "Edit" menu and choose "Preferences". In the "General" section of the preferences window, you can change your default browser by selecting it or choosing in the pop-up menu as shown.
Last Updated Tuesday, 11 March 2008

Keyboard scrolling in Safari

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When you're trying to read a long web page, do you scroll up and down with the scroll bar? Give away all that wrist-straining fine mouse movement and use the keyboard.

First, click on the page and then use the Space bar to scroll down and Shift-Space to scroll up. 'Command [' will take you back a page and 'Command ]' will take you forward.

You can get around very quickly with these few keyboard commands.

Oh, and in Internet Explorer use Space for down, Option-Space for up and 'Command [' and 'Command ]' for Back and Forward.

Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

How do I access other drives in FrontRow ?

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You can use iTunes and have that pointed to another drive, but sometimes you don't want to, especially if you've ripped a DVD and don't want to convert it into an iTunes file.

There is a very very simple workaround and it uses one of Mac OS X's most powerful UNIX features... Aliases.

• Open a Finder window and browse to the Movies folder under your profile
• Click and hold the left mouse button down on the drive you wish to add
• With the mouse button still held down press Option and Command together and drag the drive into the Movies folder
• Release the mouse button

Alternatively, right-click the folder you want to use and click "make alias" in the pop-up menu that appears.

If you've done it right you should see a black arrow curving to the right on the icon as you can see below. This indicates that it is an alias.

Now when you go into FrontRow there should be a menu entry for it under Movies/Movies Folder for the drive as though it was a folder.

 

 

Last Updated Tuesday, 30 November 1999

How do I get web links in Safari 3.1 to open in a tab?

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By default, the way to do this is:

• Go to the Safari menu and choose "Preferences"
• In the "Tab" section, make sure that the option is ticked in the image that you see below

Now, when you come to a link, hold the "Command" key (the key on your keyboard that matches that funny symbol) and then click on a link. In other words, the process is not completely automatic.

BUT !!!!

The ability to have all links that open in a new window, open in a new tab instead can actually be activated in Safari 3.1. Here's how....

• Open up Terminal (located at....Applications/Utilities/).
• Copy and paste this into the terminal window:
• defaults write com.apple.Safari TargetedClicksCreateTabs -bool true
• This will set Safari to open all links in a new tab thus having a single window instead of windows all over the place. 

Last Updated Tuesday, 25 March 2008

How do I repair Disk Permissions?

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Some suggest doing at Disk permissions repair on a regular basis, especially when installing new software.

• For Mac OS X 10.2 or later, open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/).
• Select your Mac OS X startup volume in the column on the left of the Disk Utility window
• Click the First Aid tab.
• Click the Repair Disk Permissions button.

Users are advised to read Apple pages on the use of Disk Permissions:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106712

Some also advocate regular disk permission repairs (such as weekly) as a way to improve performance, although there isn't a consensus on this approach. The following is an excellent article worth reading and looking at the Pros and Cons of using disk permission repair...http://www.macworld.com/article/52220/2006/08/repairpermissions.html

Last Updated Friday, 25 April 2008

How do I control the countdown and flash options in Photo Booth?

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These options are available only in Mac OS X Leopard (10.5)

• To turn off the countdown, press the Option key while clicking the Shutter button.
• To turn off the flash, press the Shift key while clicking the Shutter button.
• To turn off both the countdown and flash, press Option-Shift while clicking the Shutter button.

Last Updated Friday, 25 April 2008

How do I get free SMS notifications from iCal?

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This tip requires a small initial outlay for a piece of software that allows for syncing of iCal with Google calendars, but then allows you to receive free SMS texts of events in your iCal calendars.

You will need the following things:

1. iCal....free with all macs.
2. A Google account or an NZMac.com email account. Also free.
3. A copy of Busymac's Busy Sync...$25-30 NZ depending on the exchange rate.

Fortunately for New Zealand Google provides free SMS notifications of reminders in google calendar (as long as you are with Vodafone)

1. Download and install BusySync. This runs as a preference pane in the background. Follow the instructions to sync your iCal calendars with Google Calendar.




2. There is a setting in BusySync that allows you to map reminders in iCal to SMS notifications in Google. Select that setting.




3. Go to Google Calendar and go to "Settings" and then "Mobile Setup". Follow the instructions there to verify your cell phone.




4. Marvel as your reminders in iCal are texted for free. Never miss an appointment again!

Bonuses

1. BusySync will also allow syncing of your calendars between macs in your house if you have a few, (you do need multiple copies unfortunately)
2. This is two way sync. Changing an event in Google is synced to iCal and vice versa. Great if you have a work computer that isn't your own.

 

Last Updated Friday, 25 April 2008

How do I have NZ statutory holidays put automatically into iCal?

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Go to the apple.com website, search for "New Zealand Holiday Calendar", select the first result (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/calendars/newzealandholidaycalendar.html) , then click download.

The calendar does not include Easter dates and does not include provincial holidays. 

Last Updated Friday, 25 April 2008

How do I configure a Woosh Wireless Modem to work with OS X?

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The following are instructions on using your Woosh modem when away from home.

With the external modem you will generally need to use the power adaptor, particularly when connecting with the PPPoE cable.

You will need to set up a Network Location so that the Mac can tell the modem to connect. The Woosh Gateway does this automatically as part of its boot up process.

Mac OS X Instructions (version 10.3.8 and higher)

1. Power on the Modem and connect it to your computer using the Ethernet Cable. Ensure that the cable's green light is lit
2. From the Apple menu, select 'Location' > 'Network Preferences'
3. In the 'Location' drop down box, select 'New Location'. In the Name field, type 'Woosh'. Click 'OK'
4. In the drop down list next to 'Show' click 'Built-in Ethernet'. Select the 'PPPoE' tab, and tick the 'Connect using PPPoE' box
5. In the 'Account' box, enter your full username (including '@woosh.co.nz') and password
6. Click 'PPPoE Options', and tick 'Connect automatically when required'. Also untick both 'Prompt to stay connected if idle...' and 'Disconnect if idle...'. Click 'OK'
7. Click on the 'Ethernet' tab. Select 'Manual' from the 'Configure' drop down box. Tick 'Custom' on the MTU option, and enter 1458 into the available box
8. Click 'Apply Now'

All done, you should be able to connect to the internet anywhere there is a Woosh Signal.

Last Updated Sunday, 22 June 2008

How do I always show hidden files in Finder?

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Open a Terminal Session (Applications/Utilities/Terminal) In terminal type the following exactly as it is shown in below:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

killall Finder

Or Type the following for hiding all the hidden files again: 

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

killall Finder

True is for showing all files and folders in finder, and FALSE is for hiding them again.

Last Updated Sunday, 22 June 2008

What are the main Keyboard Shortcuts for OS X?

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See this page....

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343?locale=en_NZ

Last Updated Sunday, 22 June 2008

How do I hide all App Windows except the one I want to work with?

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Hold down the Option and Command buttons, and then click on the icon of the application you are using in the Dock. In other words, click on the icon of the application that is running.

This will hide all other applications.

Now if you hold down Option and Command buttons again and click on another icon of an application that is running (but obviously hidden at the moment) in your dock, the clicked application's window will show up and all other application windows will hide.

 

Last Updated Sunday, 22 June 2008