Welcome to the October 2008 issue of Mac Hints & Tips
It has been a while
It has always been my intention to publish this newsletter monthly, but I have been falling down on the job. I apoligize.
Here is the newest version. I am trying to get back on schedule.
Please support the Hints & Tips newsletter!
I am requesting a $5-per-issue donation. I believe having these tips culled from the many various sources is valuable.
To make a donation, go to www.mac-hints-tips.com/donate.htm.
Thank you all for your donations last month. They made this issue possible.
Paul Taylor
paul@mac-hints-tips.com
A Test Account
One of the most useful things you can do to assist trouble-shooting is to set up a 'test account'. Using such an account you can quite easily determine whether the cause of a problem lies in that part of the filing system that is for your use exclusively (your Home folder) or in the part accessible to all users (accounts) on your Mac. This knowledge can establish which further techniques will or will not be useful in tracking down the problem cause.
To create such an account, open System Preferences and click Accounts. If the small 'lock' icon at lower left is closed, click it and enter your password to open it. Above the lock icon, click the '+' button to add an account.
If you're using Leopard, click on the pop-up menu at the top of the panel and choose Administrator. Allocate an account name, short name and password (I simply use 'test' for both names, and a password no casual user can guess). Remember that this will be an Administrator account, so a password is almost essential unless you want other folks to mess with the innards of your Mac.
If you're using Tiger you'll find under the Security tab a box you can tick to allow the test account to administer the Mac. Tick it.
In Leopard, you'll see this box in the main account panel and it should already be ticked. Once the account has been set up you can switch to it. This is a simple process: from the Apple menu choose Log Out [your account name]. You'll be presented in a few seconds with the login screen showing your account name and also the test account name. Click the latter, enter the test password and log in.
Now you can perform the same action that has been resulting in the problem you're chasing and see if it still happens when you're using the test account.
The test account uses information from all the same parts of the system as your own account does, with one exception -- it has its own Home folder (the one with the 'house' icon), and neither of you has access to the other's Home folder. Therefore, if the problem doesn't happen when you're using the test account, that proves that the cause of the problem lies somewhere in your own Home folder. If it does still happen, then the problem cause is somewhere outside either Home folder.
When you've finished your testing, log out of the test account and back into your usual account. Even if you lack the knowledge to go any further than this, the results of this test will be of enormous help to anyone you turn to for assistance.
AUSOM News, Melbourne, Australia
Wielding Power Wisely
While I was away on an extended business trip, my home network -- the one my wife depends on to get her work done -- went kablooey. As I was far from home and largely unable to provide the tech support she so desperately needed, she called in a local expert to put things right. He not only put the network back together, but also reworked the power setup for my home office's complex system of computers. In this month's Tools of the Trade, I ask that you do as I say rather than as I did, and get your Mac power system in order, too.
UPS Delivers
You need dependable power that protects your computers from power surges and brownouts, and keeps the juice flowing long enough for you to save your work and shut down your machines properly. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) does just that.
In the bad old days, I relied on one UPS to keep multiple Macs and a load of peripherals on the job. Bad idea. The pro brought in two APC Back-UPS 1200VA UPSs ($200) and did the right thing: he connected the computers and monitors to the power ports (on the back of one UPS) that are supplied with a battery backup, so they'll stay alive when the rest of the office goes dark.
Other peripherals that need to remain alive during blackouts -- external hard drives, switches, routers, and the DSL modem -- also get a backup battery outlet, on the other UPS.
The laser printer, which sucks enormous amounts of power when starting up and printing, is plugged into one of the power receptacles that provides surge protection but no battery power.
Nonessential peripherals -- the ones I can live without during a blackout, such as my iPod and PDA chargers, scanner, and PVR -- also get surge protection but no backup. Although I no longer use a modem, you might. If so, take advantage of the phone-line connector on the back of your UPS. Electrical spikes can travel through phone wires, too.
Take a Test
Even though I was already using a UPS, I had never bothered to find out if it worked properly. Turns out that the one I had was shot from being so overloaded. Had I cut the power to it to see if its backup functions really worked, I would have discovered the problem and divided its load among a couple more UPSs.
Share the Power
I'm lucky enough to have two electrical circuits in my office. The pro took advantage of this and split the UPS units and various power strips I have between those circuits. Previously, I overloaded one circuit while leaving the other twiddling its little electric thumbs. Not smart, as this creates a potential fire hazard.
Chris Breen's Mac 911 via Fat Bits, Conejo Valley MUG
Inconsistent Keys
Q: On a Windows PC, if you place your cursor in the middle of a sentence and press the end key, the cursor jumps to the end of that line. Conversely, if you press the home key, the cursor jumps to the beginning of the line. But when I try either on my iMac G5, the cursor remains where it is. What are the end and home keys supposed to do on the Mac? ~ Steve Sawula
A: On the Mac, the home and end keys don't always do the same things across applications. For example, these keys work as you describe in Microsoft Office applications but not in TextEdit.
In Web browsers, you'll discover that the home and end keys take you to the beginning and end of a page, respectively.
The consistent keyboard shortcuts for placing the cursor at the beginning and end of a line are Command/left arrow and Command/right arrow, respectively. (Again, browsers are the exception here. Use these keys to go to the previous and next pages, respectively.)
If you'd like your cursor to jump to the beginning and end of your document, try Command/home and Command/end.
Chris Breen's Mac 911 via TMUG Insider, Pleasanton, CA
Troubleshoot Hardware with System Profiler
If your Mac is having trouble working with a peripheral device, try launching System Profiler in Applications/Utilities. If the device appears in System Profiler, you likely have a software driver issue.
If the device does not appear, you could have a hardware-related problem. If so, try connecting the device to a different Mac to see if the problem persists.
Design Tools Monthly
Put Program Icons to Work
If you're ever in a situation where you need a high-quality version of an OS X program icon -- say, for use in a presentation -- it can be a bit of a chore to get it. The usual method, which I call the "find-the-icon-file-in-the-haystack game" goes like this: Control/click on the program in question, select "Show Package Contents" from the contextual menu, and then navigate to the Contents/Resources folder. Somewhere inside, you should find a file with a name ending in ".icns". Open that file in Preview, and you'll find the icons.
The problem with this approach is that there can be hundreds of files in the Resources folder, and the naming of the .icns file isn't necessarily logical, so it can take a bit of digging -- or help from Spotlight -- to find the right file. Luckily, there's a much simpler -- although completely non-obvious -- way to get all of a program's icons, at least if you're running Tiger or Leopard.
In the Finder, select the program in question, and press Command/C. You've now got a full copy of the program on your clipboard. (Don't believe me? Press Command/V after switching to another folder in the Finder. (If you're going to do this, I suggest copying a small program and not something like the 337MB iWeb.)
Now launch Preview, and press Command/N (File: New From Clipboard, for you menu users).
You may be surprised at the result: a full copy of the chosen program's icons, in every available size including the gorgeous new 512-by-512 pixel versions available in many programs.
Click on the desired icon size in Preview's sidebar and select File: Save As to save it in the file format of your choice. (If you want to retain the transparency, you'll need to use PNG or TIFF as the file type.) This trick worked with every program I tested it with. You can also use it to get document icons for things like Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, and so on. If you try this with a PDF, though, you'll find that Preview will actually paste in the entire PDF, not its icon.
Macworld Magazine
Quick Image View
Here is a cool Leopard trick and it is like magic for people who look at images all the time.
Click on a JPEG icon and press the space bar. Up pops your image. This works for PDFs also. It is a fast way to view images that you want to view quickly without opening them up in an application like Photoshop. The trick uses Apple's Quicklook.
Lynn Rybarczyk
Change Colors
To change colors on your Mac from "black letters on white" to "white letters on black," hold down Control/Option/Command with one hand and press the "8" key. Do it again to get back to normal.
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do
Lifehacker has posted a top-ten list of cool fun things you forgot your Mac can do.
These include tricks such as making your Mac say anything, making windows open in slow motion, assigning custom hard drive icons, using target disk mode, and showing the date on your Macs menu bar.
You can read the article here:
<http://lifehacker.com/390226/top-10-things-you-forgot-your-mac-can-do>
Also, it was in 1763 that James Boswell first met Samuel Johnson in a bookstore in London. The result of that meeting was Boswell's always-entertaining Life of Johnson.
Many people forget that, in his lifetime, Johnson was chiefly known as the author of A Dictionary of the English Language.
Johnson occasionally (and famously) inserted his opinions into the dictionary, such as the word "excise," defined as "a hateful tax levied upon commodities and adjudged not by the common judges of property but wretches hired by those to whom excise is paid."
And lexicographer, defined as "a writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the original and detailing the signification of words."
In his honor, I present a collection of Mac OS X Dictionary related tips. Check them out on our blog:
<http://blog.smalldog.com/?q=dictionary>
~ Ed Shepard
Lifehacker.com via Small Dog Electronics
Taking Better Photos
It never fails. Someone gives you a picture of yourself from a recent get-together but the top of your head is cut off (or in the case of my grandmother, most of my body is cut off!).
Too often when taking a picture people just point and shoot and think they'll make the photo better in a photo-editing program.
Sure, you can change a lot of things in a program like Photoshop, but why not take advantage of the digital camera's LCD and create a great shot when you take it?
Here are some pointers from a class I taught a few years back:
Learning to See
Decide how you can best capture the shot by choosing a suitable viewpoint and controlling what appears in the final picture. A photograph is merely a two-dimensional image of what we saw/see. Our eyes work in completely different ways; each eye offers a slightly different view. The two views together gives a strong impression of depth and spatial relationship.
Example: Focus on something in the room, close your left eye, and look at the object. Repeat with the right eye. Note the different perspective you get from each eye.
Successful composition is dependent on your ability to look at a scene and decide exactly what to point the camera at so the images recorded can capture the drama and grandeur of the broader view. The human eye is drawn to specific things. Here are the items that will capture the attention of your viewer, listed in order of importance:
Movement
Our eyes naturally go to even the slightest movement in a still frame. If there are several moving objects, our eyes jump among them. A good rule is to have just one new thing happening at a time to lead the viewer's eye around the frame.
Color Differences
One small patch of bright color against a dark background draws the eye into it. In general, warm colors attract the eye more than cool ones.
Weight of Objects in Frame
Objects with more size get more attention, but this can be manipulated. Big objects in the distance have less weight than smaller objects in the foreground that take up more screen space.
Creating Balance
Where you position the focal point in the frame is important because that will determine if the picture appears visually balanced. Use the rule of thirds: divide your camera's viewfinder using two imaginary horizontal and vertical lines so a grid is formed. The focal point may be positioned at one of the four intersection points created by the grid. The rule of thirds can be applied to any subject: portrait, still life, wildlife photography, architecture, and landscape.
A slight tilt of the camera will shift the balance. Move downward to emphasize the landscape and foreground; move upward to make a feature of an interesting sky. The horizon is generally best positioned either a third up from the base of the image or a third down from the top to give a more balanced image. Never try to force a picture to comply with the rule of thirds, but more often than not you will find that it can be applied in some way.
Leading the Eye
Look for and find lines. Lines can be used to divide, to add a strong graphic element, or even as the main focus of composition.
Horizontal lines echo the horizon and the force of gravity. Vertical lines are more active than horizontal. They produce dynamic compositions with a stronger sense of direction. Tip: To maximize the effect, shoot in the upright format so the eye has farther to travel from the bottom of the frame to the top.
Diagonal lines have great directional value and add depth by suggesting distance and perspective. They can also contrast strongly with the previous types of lines to create dynamic compositions that catch and hold the eye. Converging lines are the most powerful. When included in a photo, they add a very strong sense of depth.
Example: Railroad tracks. If you stand in the middle and look down in the distance, the parallel lines appear to move closer together until they eventually seem to vanish.
Filling the Foreground
By exploiting the area of a scene closest to the camera (the foreground), you can create a strong composition. Anything can be used as foreground interest: roads, fences, rivers, streams, paths, rocks on the shore, a flowerbed. Natural features tend to make the composition more interesting. Shadows can be used as foreground interest.
Composing for Impact
Take a few steps closer. Get in the habit of asking yourself if moving closer to the subject would improve the composition. Photos of people will be more intimate. Action shots will be full of drama. Landscapes will lack empty space. Explore your subject from all angles -- don't assume your photos have to be taken at eye level. Take photos at an elevated position. Bend down/stretch out on your stomach. Compose with color, which lends strong aesthetic power.
Example: Bold, contrasting colors such as blue and yellow, or red and green, will produce a photo that's exciting to look at.
Use your camera on its side. By using the camera in a vertical position, you can include much more foreground or sky. This makes the eye travel farther from the top to bottom, leading to an active composition.
Web Site Resources
BetterPhoto.com features online photography courses, digital camera ratings and reviews, great tips for improving photographic technique, camera comparisons, photo contests, Q&A, free email newsletters, and expert help with all aspects of beginning photography. <www.betterphoto.com>
Shortcourses.com is a complete guide to digital cameras, digital photography, and digital video. <www.shortcourses.com>
Photojojo.com -- A website and newsletter dedicated not only to taking better photos, but doing cool and useful things with them. They say "We find the most kick-ass photo tips, DIY projects, and gear and bring them to you." <www.photojojo.com>
~ Holly Buttura
Small Dog Electronics
Displaying the Date on the Menu Bar
The date can appear in your menu bar without installing another piece of software. It can be added manually in System Preferences although it is not an obvious checkbox or dropdown option. Follow these step-by-step instructions:
QuadStar
Backup Versus Clone
When you clone a hard drive, you are making an exact duplicate. Since this new duplicate is like the original in every way, you can use it just like the original. All of your files, the operating system, and applications will be exactly where you expect to find them. In most cases, your drive clone is bootable as well, so you can use it in place of the original if you need to.
Carbon Copy Cloner, from Bombich Software, is one application that can handle drive cloning without any problem. If CCC isn't your style, another nice option is SuperDuper, from shirt-pocket software.
Backup in simple terms
Backing up involves duplicating critical files so that if the originals are lost or damaged, the copies are available to take their place. If you aren't following a regular and reliable backup routine, you will lose important files. It's only a matter of time.
While a cloned hard drive does make a perfectly fine backup, it's usually more efficient to copy only the files that have changed since your last backup. That's where backup applications come in handy: They track your changed files and back them up on a regular basis so you don't have to remember to do it yourself.
Both Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper offer data backup options along with their cloning features. Mac users can also take advantage of Apple's Backup application -- it has been serving me well for some time. After installing Leopard, Time Machine is an option, too.
My personal routine includes nightly backups to an external hard drive, weekly backups to my Mac account, and twice-monthly backups to DVD. I don't like to lose data.
Making sure you have extra copies of your important files, either through backing up or cloning, needs to be a regular part of your computing routine. Even though things tend to go smoothly when installing new versions of Mac OS X, it's a really good idea to backup the files you can't afford to lose -- you never know when something unexpected will happen and things go horribly wrong.
The moral of this story: Backup your files or lose them. ~ Jeff Garnet
The Mac Observer via Mouse Tales, NorthCoast MUG, Berea, OH
Backing Up Your Keychain
Q: I have a lot of passwords stored in my PowerBook's keychain. I want to put an exact copy of the keychain on my iBook, just in case my trusty PowerBook gives up the ghost, but Mac Help is vague about how to do this. ~ Jason M. Krellenstein
A: The first step to copying your keychain is finding it. Look inside your user folder/Library/Keychains. Login.keychain is the default user keychain file that OS X creates -- the one you unlock with your login password. (If you've created a new keychain -- Chris's keychain.keychain, for example -- you'll find it here as well.)
Copying a keychain from one computer to another, however, can be problematic. If that other computer uses a different user name or password, it'll bombard you with password requests. Even with the same user name and password, you'll run into the occasional request for a password you know is in the keychain. For example, when I copied my keychain to another computer that used the same user name and password, Internet Connect asked me for my virtual private network (VPN) password -- despite the fact that it never did that on the original computer.
If you subscribe to Apple's .Mac service ($99 per year), you'll be happy to know you already have a way to avoid these problems. The service gives you the option to sync your keychain between your .Mac account and any Macs you sync with it (see "Keychain Syncing").
You'll find the option for syncing keychains -- as well as bookmarks; calendars; contacts; Mail accounts; and Mail rules, signatures, and smart mailboxes -- in the Sync tab of the .Mac preference pane. Select the Synchronize With .Mac option and then choose from the list.~ Christopher Breen
Mouse TalesNorthCoast MUG, Berea, OH
Quick Mac Tip Videos
There are several dozen excellent video tutorials posted throughout Apple.com. The Business section has some of the best. They include topics such as Battery Optimization, Restricting Spotlight, Merge PDFs With Ease, Deleting Securely, and many more.
The videos are short and sweet and get right to the point. It's definitely worth any Mac users time to check them out -- you'll almost certainly learn something new.
See them here: <www.apple.com/business/theater/>
~ Ed
Small Dog Electronics
Smarten Up!
There's no excuse for skipping past a word you've never seen before, or whose meaning is unclear. Simply place your mouse cursor over the word in question, and press Command/Control/D. A few seconds later, the definition pops down and you're that much smarter!
Small Dog Electronics
Share a Folder with the Sticky Bit
The "sticky bit" is an obscure but handy permissions bit that can apply to files and folders on your Mac. If the sticky bit is set on a folder, a file within that folder can be renamed or deleted only by the owner of the file, the owner of the folder, or an administrator, even if the permissions would ordinarily allow that operation.
This is useful when you want multiple users to share a folder but be unable to delete other users' files -- just make sure the Shared folder's sticky bit is on.
Peachpit Press
Check Combined File Size
Let's say you have several files on your desktop, and before you copy them all onto your jump drive, you want to find out their combined size.
Here's how it's done: Select all the files for which you want the combined size, then press Command/Option/I, which brings up the Multiple Item Info dialog, complete with a list of how many files are selected and their combined size.
TechX 18 via Mouse Tales, NorthCoast MUG, Berea, OH
Rearrange Items in Your Menu Bar
On a Mac, the "menu bar" is the horizontal strip at the top of screen. From left to right, the menu bar starts with an Apple icon, then the name of the currently active application, then a series of drop down menus specific to that application (for example, in Mail the drop down menus are File, Edit, View, Message, etc).
Continuing to the right, there is a series of small icons related to specific applications. These are often called "menu extras." They allow you to launch and control applications directly from the menu bar.
The upgrade to Leopard 10.5.2 adds a helpful menu extra for controlling Time Machine. I like this menu extra -- however, my MacBook Pro's menu bar is now crowded. There are icons for Time Machine, monitor preferences, Spaces, iSync, Bluetooth, Airport signal strength, audio volume, input menu, battery indicator, an Adobe Bridge icon, an Apple Script icon, the clock, and finally Spotlight.
Most of these extras can be disabled in System Preferences. For example, to get rid of the Time Machine extra, simply go to System Preferences > Time Machine and uncheck the box that reads "Show Time Machine status in Menu Bar."
However, there is a keyboard shortcut that allows you to both rearrange and remove menu extras. Simply hold down the Command key and drag the menu extra icons to reorder them.
To remove a menu extra, again hold down the Command key and drag the menu extra out of the menu bar. Then, let go of the Command key and the menu extra will disappear in a little animated explosion.
(The Command key is located next to the space bar, and is usually printed with an Apple or clover icon. Some people call it the "Apple" key.)
Most Apple menu extras can be restored to the menu bar in System Preferences.
Note that the clock and Spotlight cannot be removed with this tip, as they are not really menu "extras."
Want to add an eject key to your menu bar? Check out this useful tutorial (with video):
http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/tutorials/osx-menuextras/
You can view many other additional menu extras and applications here:
http://menu.jeweledplatypus.org/
~ Ed Shepard
Small Dog Electronics
Cool Leopard Tips
If you have already installed the new Mac operating system, OS 10.5 (Leopard) you are probably enjoying some of the great new features.
If you haven't, you might be interested in some of those features and how you make them work.
Incidentally, if you do have Leopard installed, be sure you keep up with the software updates and install them as soon as you are aware of them.
Since Leopard is a brand new operating system Apple will be releasing updates as they find any problems and you will find that your system will run better with each update. 10.5.1 is already out.
To check on updates click on the Apple menu > Software Update.
It is hard to pick out the best new features, but here are three that I really like that I think have universal appeal.
The Mail application has added a number of new features. You can now add stationery with built-in templates for invitations, announcements, etc.
These templates allow you to include photos. You can also now add numbering, bullets, indentations, and colored text to your messages.
Mail Tip One
Choose a stationery template for your email that can be read by both Macs and PCs. The add stationery button is on the far right of the tool bar. When you click the button, your stationery choices open for you and you just click one to choose it. You can even make a choice after you have created your text and Mail will fit your content into the stationery.
Mail Tip Two
Add an image to a stationery Template in a designated spot. Make sure that your image is in a format that does well across the Internet (.jpg, .pdf, gif, etc.)
Or
Or
Mail Tip Three
Use numbering, bullets, indentations, and colored text in your emails. While in the process of creating a new message select the Formats Menu.
Another cool new feature include in Mail is the ability to create a new address card in Address Book from information included in the content of an email message. (This only works if you are receiving your mail through the Mail application.)
Note: If you already have an address in place for the individual that address will remain and the new address will be added as a second listing.
Note: If additional addresses or phone numbers are included without name identifiers, they might be picked up as well. If that happens, just delete them from your card before you save.
Preview now gives you the ability to print several different images on a single sheet of paper. They can be the same or different images. Print several different images on a single sheet of paper. Or print multiple copies of the same image to cut out and share with friends.
These tips, and many more are included in the revised version of Nancy Gravley's new manual, Tips, Hints, and Solutions for Seasoned Beginners Using Apple Macintosh Computers with Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5.
Entire table of contents and sample pages available for review from http://www.capmac.org/%7enancygravley/bifocalsbooksample.pdf.
The book is available as a black-and-white, spiral-bound printed book ($17.15 plus shipping), as a color pdf ($9.85, download) or as the color PDF on a CD with hyperlinks for the various topics covered. ~ Nancy Gravley
MacObserver via Mouse Tales, NorthCoast MUG, Berea, OH
iTunes U
Retirees in Long Beach and Weaverville, Calif., halibut fishermen in Alaska, data entry clerks in London, casting agents in New York -- all separated from the classroom by age, distance or circumstance -- are learning from some of the world's top scholars," Michelle Quinn (Los Angeles Times) tells her readers.
They're learning by downloading podcasts from iTune U, where "28 colleges and universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and Yale, now post select courses without a charge at iTunes.
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
Get Free Stuff from iTunes
Everybody likes free stuff! In addition to a free Single of the Week, the iTunes Store usually offers several other free songs and videos for you to try. Look for the "FREE ON iTunes" box on the main iTunes Store screen and click the "See All" link to view the whole list
Peachpit Press
Display Audio Frequencies Graphically
To see a graphic display of the audio frequencies in a song (helpful to avoid recording at too high a volume, which causes distortion), look at the status display in the top center of the iTunes window. On the far left side of the display, click the dark gray circular button with the right-facing arrow. Two digital volume unit meters will appear where the song info usually is displayed, giving you a visualization of the music frequencies. Click the arrow button again to bring back the song title.
Peachpit Press
Learn More About Your Mac Free Educational Media from iTunes Store -- iTunesU
Some of you may be surprised to know that iTunes has a free educational suite built right into it, I know I was! This add-on is part of the iTunes Store and can be accessed threw iTunes by clicking on the iTunes Store and selecting iTunesU from the main page.
From Apple.com "Created in collaboration with colleges and universities, iTunesU makes it easier than ever to extend learning, explore interests, learn more about a school and stay connected with an alma mater. Content from iTunes can be loaded onto an iPod with just one click and experienced on-the-go, anytime, making learning from a lecture just as simple as enjoying music. "
This section of iTunes has audio and video files that are public domain and available to download for free right from the iTunes Store interface. Once at iTunesU you will notice an extensive list of universities that have helped make content available. There are also a few non-educational companies offering some excellent programs. These are listed as Beyond Campus and I highly recommend the "Research Channel" and "PBS" as great libraries of digital media.
This service just had its first birthday on May 30th and it seems to be growing steadily. I am very impressed and pleased to see the iTunes Store interface being used to bring educational media right into people's digital collection.
Thanks Apple! ~ Matt Klein
Small Dog Electronics
Importing and Exporting Sites
You can export a site as an XML file that contains the site's settings, and import the site into Dreamweaver later. This enables you to move sites between machines and product versions or to share the settings with other users.
TIP: It's a good idea to export your sites regularly so that you have a backup copy if anything happens to the site.
To export your sites:
To import sites:
Adobe.com
More-Efficient Firefox Downloads
Q: I visited a Web site that had links to a lot of MPEG-4 movies. I wanted to download them all, but when I clicked on each link I found that Mozilla Firefox would download only two movies simultaneously. Is Firefox really limited to just two downloads? ~ Don MacKenzie
A: By default, Mozilla's free Firefox Web browser can download only two files at a time, but you can change that. Type "about: config" into Firefox's Address field. Type "persistent" into the Filter field that appears at the top of the resulting page, and double-click on the "network.http.max-persistentconnections-per-server" entry. In the sheet that appears, type in a number larger than 2. (This will be the number of simultaneous connections.) Quit Firefox, and relaunch. Once you do this, you can download more files simultaneously.
If you download a lot of files frequently, you might also get the DownThemAll extension (free). As its name implies, DownThemAll allows you to automatically download all the linked files on a page or just a selection of particular file types. For example, you can ask it to download just a page's video files. This queues the downloads so you don't have to hang around clicking on link after link.
Chris Breen's Mac 911 via TMUG Insider, Pleasanton, CA
Convert FreeHand to InDesign
Our friends at CreativeTechs.com point out an interesting use for Recosoft's PDF2ID ($250). Many longtime users of FreeHand are not happy with Illustrator, and may be happier in InDesign. However, there's no way to convert a FreeHand document to InDesign format.
A clever workaround involves PDF2ID, which converts PDFs to InDesign. That means you could export your FreeHand documents in PDF format, then use PDF2ID to convert them to InDesign. The results aren't always perfect, but it's much easier than recreating those files from scratch. <www.recosoft.com>
Design Tools Monthly
Use Folders in iPhoto
In iPhoto '08, you can organize your Albums into Folders -- truly helpful for large photo collections. Just choose File > New Folder; and then drag any albums, slideshows, books or other folders into it.
Design Tools Monthly
iPhoto Library Rescue
In the past week I have had to rescue or revive three clients' iPhoto Libraries, which leads to the question of how this is done.
The most common problem in recent versions of iPhoto has been one in which the thumbnail images in the main catalogue window are replaced by grey squares. Sometimes double-clicking these reveals the full-size photo, but sometimes that has also been replaced by plain grey.
In general, no photos have been lost -- what has been damaged is the index information that iPhoto uses to keep track of their location. Foreseeing that this might occur for a variety of reasons, Apple has provided iPhoto with an internal library rebuilding routine.
[Note that this kind of problem is frequently caused by a user's attempting to add to, extract from, or otherwise manipulate the contents of the iPhoto Library folder, normally found in your Pictures folder. It is not intended that you ever access the contents of this folder directly, and iPhoto '08 actually turns it into a 'package' -- a single large file that severely inhibits tampering. If you want to revise the content of the iPhoto library in any way, you must do it via the main iPhoto catalogue window.]
Before undertaking the rebuild process though, make sure that you are using the latest update available for your version of iPhoto. You can check this using Software Update.
The built-in rebuilding routine is accessed by holding down a particular pair of keys while opening iPhoto. In versions 4 and 5 the keys are the Option and Shift keys, while in version 6 and later they are the Command and Option keys.
Holding down the appropriate pair of keys will halt the iPhoto opening process before any photos appear, and you'll be asked about the kind of rebuild you want to perform. If in doubt, simply tick all the boxes and proceed, recognizing that the process can be a long one if you have thousands of photos.
Sometimes this rebuild routine works, but often it doesn't. The next step is to try the repair function included in iPhoto Library Manager (free for this function), which is different in that it attempts to build a completely new library, resolving problems as it goes. Sadly though, it will often be tripped up by the same problems that cause Apple's method to fail.
When all else has failed, your only option is to extract the photos from the damaged library and re-import them into a new library. Since an iPhoto Library contains all manner of folders, thumbnail images and support files, it helps greatly if you have a utility that can extract just the full-size photos and leave the rest behind. The one I use is iPhotoExtractor (free) that is effective, though rather slow as it's AppleScript based. Be prepared to wait hours if you have thousands of photos.
Also make sure you have enough free disk space to accommodate the extracted (actually copied) photos. When the process is finished, import the extracted photos into a new library -- hold down the Option key while opening iPhoto in order to create one with a name and location of your choosing. Again you'll need plenty of free disk space, as iPhoto actually copies the photos into its library.
[An alternative method is to search the old Library folder, or its subfolders in turn, for all files larger than about 72KB, which should filter out the dross. This method has the advantage that you can drag the found items directly into a new iPhoto window, avoiding the intermediate copy process.]
Unfortunately you will have lost all your albums, your photo ratings and keywords, though iPhotoExtractor does give you the option of saving titles rather than the original file names. At least you will have the photos with their EXIF data including dates, which will help with your reconstruction of the library.
AUSOM News, Melbourne, Australia
Use Multiple iPhoto Libraries
We have mentioned this tip in the past, but I was reminded of it last week when I had to put my data back together on the new computer. I had a backup of my iPhoto Library I wanted to restore, but I also wanted to keep the new one I had created in the meantime. At home, I use two iPhoto libraries in order to save space-one on the iMac's internal hard drive and one on my external hard drive.
Here's how you do it:
Hold down the Option key when you launch iPhoto. A dialogue box will appear telling you to a) choose an existing iPhoto library, or b) create a new one
If you want to create a new one, it will prompt you to name the new library, pick a location, and thus, will give you a blank iPhoto interface to load new photos. Keep in mind that any apps that reference iPhoto (such as Pages, iWeb, etc.) in their Media Browsers will show only the last iPhoto library you selected -- not multiple ones simultaneously.
Side note: In the past (up to iPhoto '06), photos were stored on the back end in a folder, and they were accessible by going into User/ Pictures/iPhoto Library. However, anyone who has ever made the mistake of editing/managing photos this way knew it was a bad idea (iPhoto would become very unhappy if its folder/file names were changed there -- all changes were meant to be made in the iPhoto application window only.) iPhoto '08 uses a package-type system (similar to iWork), so that nothing is viewable on the back end-only in iPhoto itself, making the need for multiple iPhoto libraries more apparent. ~ Kali Hilke
Small Dog Electronics
Easier Extraction in Photoshop
When using Photoshop's Extract feature (Filter > Extract...), you'll be able to better see the result if you first duplicate the layer, then use Extract on the top layer, and then change the top layer's Blend Mode to "Difference." You'll easily see where to make adjustments.
Design Tools Monthly
Zoomify Your Photos
In Photoshop CS3, you can export full-resolution images to the Zoomify format, which lets website visitors see a small version of your photo, then click to see the full-size image. It uses Flash to do its magic, so every visitor is likely to be able to see it. Choose File > Export > Zoomify and select a template for the image to be seen in your browser. Visitors can then zoom and drag to see different areas of your photo.
Design Tools Monthly
Moving Pixels
In this article, we first explore some of the fastest ways to move around your image, including zooming in and out. Then we discuss moving pixels around both within your document and from one document to another.
Even expert users forget (or never learn) this basic stuff, so we urge you to read this article even if you think you already know all there is to know about navigating Photoshop.
Magnification
Images have pixels. Computer monitors have pixels. But how does one type of pixel relate to the other type of pixel? When one image pixel is displayed on one monitor pixel, you're seeing every detail of the image. In Photoshop, this happens at 100% magnification, or with the Actual Pixels command under the View menu. This view doesn't necessarily tell you how big the image will appear in print or even on the web, however, because different monitors have different resolutions.
At 400%, the image is magnified four times, so each image pixel is displayed using 16 monitor pixels. At 50%, you're seeing only one-quarter of the pixels in the image, because zooming out causes Photoshop to downsample four image pixels to one monitor pixel. At any percentage other than 100%, you're not seeing a fully accurate view of your image, because you aren't seeing the exact number of pixels in the image.
When you're viewing at an integral multiple of 100% (25%, 50%, 200%, 400%, and so on), Photoshop displays image pixels evenly. At 200%, four screen pixels (two horizontal, two vertical) equal one image pixel; at 50%, four image pixels equal one screen pixel, and so on. However, when you're at any "odd" percentage, the program has to jimmy the display in order to make things work. Photoshop can't cut a screen pixel or an image pixel in half, so instead it fakes the effect using anti-aliasing. Magnifications lower than 100% can give you a distorted view of resolution-dependent effects, such as sharpening. The moral of the story is that you should always return to the Actual Pixels (100%) view to get the most accurate view of your image. You'll be doing this all the time, so learn the shortcuts:
Zooming the View
We never select the Zoom tool from the Tools palette, because that takes too long. You can temporarily switch to the Zoom tool by holding down Command/spacebar to zoom in or Command/Option/spacebar to zoom out. Each click is the same as choosing "Zoom In" or "Zoom Out" from the View menu.
The maximum zoom percentage has been raised to 3200% in Photoshop CS3. Here are some other useful zoom notes:
Using Print Size Magnification
Generations of Photoshop users have been baffled by the View > Print Size command, mostly because when you choose it, it never matches the size of the image when you actually print it!
The only way the Print Size command can know the actual print size is to know the resolution of your monitor, so that the rulers become accurate.
To make Print Size work correctly, follow these steps:
Now, when you choose View > Print Size, Photoshop can take into account both your screen resolution and the resolution of the image in the Image > Image Size dialog, and correctly display the printed size of the image. Another wonderful result of all this effort is that your rulers now match the real world at Print Size magnification. If the rulers don't match exactly, adjust the Screen Resolution field slightly until they do.
Moving the View
If you're like most Photoshop users, you find yourself moving the image around a lot. Do a little here, do a little there, and so on. But when you're doing this kind of navigation, you should rarely use the scroll bars. There are much better ways.
Use the Hand Tool
The best way to make a small move is to select the Hand tool with your keyboard (by pressing the spacebar) instead of choosing it from the Tools palette. Then just click-and-drag to where you want to go.
TIP: To use the Zoom or Hand tool on every open image window at the same time, hold down the Shift key as you click the Zoom tool or drag the Hand tool.
End Up Down Home
Many people ignore the very helpful Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End keys when working in Photoshop, but we find them invaluable for perusing an image for dust or scratches.
When you press Page Up or Page Down, Photoshop scrolls the image up or down by one whole window of pixels. Although there's no Page Left or Page Right button, you can jump one window of pixels to the left or right by pressing Command/Page Up or Command/Page Down. You can scroll in 10-pixel increments by adding the Shift key to any of these shortcuts.
Also note that pressing the "Home" button jumps to the upper-left corner of the document, and pressing the "End" button jumps to the lower-right corner. I often use this technique when using the Crop tool, to quickly adjust the upper-left and lower-right corners.
NOTE: If you're working on a laptop, these keys may be overlaid with the arrow keys. For example, on a Mac laptop, the up-arrow key also has Page Up printed on it. To use the Page Up function of that key, add the Fn key (located at the lower-left corner of the keyboard). In other words, press Fn and the up-arrow key together to get Page Up.
Match Up Your Windows
When you're working on multiple images at the same time, it's helpful to sync their views. Several commands on the Arrange submenu (under the Window menu) automate this process:
TIP: After you match up windows, hold down the Shift key as you zoom or move, to keep all the windows in synch.
Quick Clicks with Context-Sensitive Menus
When you Control/click, Photoshop displays a context-sensitive menu that changes depending on the tool you have selected in the Tools palette. It's worth trying out with any tool you use.
For brush or retouching tools, the context menu is a quick way to adjust the brush. The context-sensitive menu for the Move tool lets you select a layer. If you have four layers in an image and three of them overlap in one particular area, you can Control/click on that area and Photoshop asks which of the three layers you want to jump to.
If the Move tool isn't selected, you can almost always get the Move tool's context menu by holding down Command and Control/clicking in Mac OS X.
The context-sensitive menu for the Marquee tool contains a mishmash of features, including Delete Layer, Duplicate Layer, Load Selection, Reselect, Color Range, and Group into New Smart Object. (We have no idea why Adobe picked these and left others out.) Many of these features don't have keyboard shortcuts, so this menu is the fastest way to perform them.
Navigator Palette Tricks
You can use the Navigator palette as command central for all scrolling and zooming.
We rarely use this palette because we zoom much faster with the keyboard shortcuts, but if you get along with the Navigator palette, don't let us stop you from using it.
A thumbnail of the image fills most of the palette, with a red frame marking the contents of the active window.
(If your image has a lot of red in it, you might want to change the frame color by choosing Palette Options from the Palette menu).
Dragging the outline pans the contents of the active window. Command/dragging lets you define a new outline, thereby changing the zoom percentage.
The percentage field at the lower left of the palette works exactly like the one at the lower left of the image window.
You can click the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons instead of using the keyboard shortcuts for zooming. David's favorite feature in this palette is the magnification slider, which lets him change the zoom level dynamically, but you can also do that by scrolling a mouse wheel while pressing Option.
Peachpit Press
An Adobe CS3 Note
If you've splashed out for Photoshop CS3 or any of the other Adobe CS3 applications, you'll already have come across the registration and activation process that's required to use these programs.
You need also to be aware that there is a very specific procedure for reinstalling them if necessary. I recently had occasion to suspect that a component had gone missing, and endeavored to simply reinstall "over the top of" the existing installation, as you would with any other Mac application. No dice -- the installer choked two thirds of the way through, and did it again when I tried again.
Referring to a document I'd salted away a little while ago, I was reminded that the correct procedure is as follows (assuming it's Photoshop CS3 we're concerned with):
With Photoshop open, go to the Help menu and choose "Deactivate." Elect to retain your registration information; this will save you from having to re-enter it later.
In your Applications/Utilities folder locate the folder named Adobe Installers, and inside that, the item named Add or Remove Photoshop CS3. Launch this and follow your nose to uninstall Photoshop.
Reinstall Photoshop and while connected to the Internet, reactivate it.
Yes folks; not only is Adobe aiming to be the new Microsoft, it's trying to turn your Mac into a PC as well.
While performing the hocus-pocus above, I noted that it took longer to install Photoshop CS3 alone, than it normally does to Archive & Install the entire Mac OS! ~ Steve Cooper
AUSOM News, Melbourne, Australia
Menu-bar Calculator
The Spotlight menu (upper-right corner of the screen) is also a tiny pocket calculator in Leopard. Hit Command/Space, type or paste 38*48.2-7+55, and marvel at the first result in the Spotlight menu: 1879.6.
You don't even have to fire up the Calculator.
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
World War II in Color
For years, historians have observed the events of World War II through faded black and white images. What most people don't know is that quite a large portion of WWII was shot using color film. However, it wasn't until recently that many photos and motion picture footage were declassified by the U.S. Government.
We don't just have a collection of U.S. images, but we also have a diverse collection of German, Russian, Japanese, British and Italian photos. View our picture gallery. There's even a message board forum for comments. ~ Patrish Blackstock
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
The Cloud Appreciation Society Photo Gallery
<www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery/>
Spend a few minutes with the breathtaking cloud formations in the Cloud Appreciation Society's photo gallery.
View all 3000 pictures or choose a category such as "clouds that look like things" or "KelvinHelmholtz wave" from the drop-down menu. ~ Patrish Blackstock
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
The Best Halloween Links
<www.halloween-toys.com/links.html>
Everything you need for Halloween! This site suggests 20 Halloween sources for everything from photography tips to screen savers. BOO! ~ Patrish Blackstock
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
Notes from the Road
A truly great travel website is a rare find. This one strikes a balance of genuine passion, original content, and practical information.
"Notes from the Road" may not be the single most practical website, but it is one of those rare finds that will have you gazing at your map or spinning your globe and dreaming of far away lands and adventurous destinations. ~ Patrish Blackstock
Mouse Droppings, Corvallis, OR
Time Machine Tip #1
There's just one potential setup problem, which derives from the fact that the Time Machine backup disk needs to be formatted to match your Mac's processor type. If you find that the initial backup simply stops after about 10GB has been copied, here's what you need to do.
Open Disk Utility (in the Applications/ Utilities folder).
Click the icon of your Time Machine drive in the left hand column (i.e.: the icon with the maker's model number -- not 'Backup' or whatever it was that you named the volume) and then click the "Partition" tab.
From the pop-up menu under the words Volume Scheme, choose "1 Partition."
Give the disk a name and from the Format pop-up menu choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)."
Click "Options."
This is the important bit. If your Mac is a PowerPC model (not Intel) choose "Apple Partition Map." If it's an Intel model, choose "GUID Partition Table."
Click "Apply."
I can't tell you exactly what to do next without reformatting my own backup disk, but I'm sure it's obvious. There will be a button labeled "Partition," or "Format," or "Initialize" or similar. So click it!
Time Machine Tip #2
There are some programs that keep all or most the data you create in them in a single file that may become very large indeed. A good example is the Entourage email program, which keeps all of your saved email in a single large file.
Whenever you make even a small change in the data (e.g. send or receive an email message) this very large file changes, and will therefore be backed up by Time Machine.
If you check your Entourage mail frequently, the result may well be that a huge multi-gigabyte file is being backed up afresh every hour. This will soon fill up your backup disk, not to mention slowing down your Mac for a good part of every hour.
The solution is to add the relevant file to Time Machine's exclusion list. You'll find the file at Your Home > Documents > Microsoft User Data > Office 2004 Identities (or Office 2008 Identities ) > Main Identity > Database.
Of course, adding a file to Time Machine's exclusion list means that it will not be backed up by Time Machine, so you will need to make other arrangements to back up such files.
Users of Apple's Mail program can remain smug in the knowledge that they don't have to worry about any such problem with Mail.
Entourage users who also wish to use Time Machine would be well advised to make the switch to Apple Mail.
People who are running the Windows operating system on their Intel Macs have another very large file that should be added to Time Machine's exclusion list, and that is the disk image file associated with BootCamp, Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion, whichever it is you're using.
AUSOM News, Melbourne, Australia
Zooming and Column Viewing Tips
Tip #1: If you use Apple's Mighty Mouse, here is a tip. You can zoom in and out on your screen by pressing the control key and moving the scroll ball up and down.
Tip #2: When using "column view mode" often the file names get cut off. If you double-click on the double-line icon at the bottom of a column (beneath the arrow keys for scrolling through the column), the column will resize so you can see entire file or folder names. Option > Double-click and all the columns will resize to the maximum width.
QuadStar
Time Machine Editor
(http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26704/timemachineeditor) allows you to change the default one-hour backup interval of Time Machine. You can change the interval or decide to schedule a backup once a day, once a week or once a month. This is useful if you don't need to backup every hour and especially if you manipulate large amounts of data during your workday -- which could result in a continuous backup.
Time Machine Editor doesn't install anything in your system -- it merely tells the system when Time Machine should be called. The default settings can easily be reverted back to using the "Show Default Settings" menu item from the "Settings" menu. Once the scheduling has been changed, you can still use the Time Machine preference pane from "System Preferences." However, the next backup date in the Time Machine preference pane may not be correct. This is just the user interface not being aware of the new scheduling and can be ignored without risk.
QuadStar
Mac Hints & Tips is a compilation of tips found in Mac user group newsletter from around the world, as well as many Mac-related books, magazines, websites, and individuals. Following is a partial list of some of the contributors with links to their websites. To all who have contributed to the Mac community, we all give many thanks for sharing their tips and expertise.
Mac User Groups:
Mouse Droppings, newsletter of the Corvallis Macintosh User Group in Corvallis, Oregon, one of the oldest and most active user groups in the country, and the home of Phil Russell, a highly respected Macintosh writer and the main source of hints and tips published by me over the years, as well as other MUG newsletters throughout the world. www.cmug.com
AUSOM News, newsletter of Australia's largest Macintosh User Group, Apple Mac Users' Society of Melbourne Australia. www.ausom.net.au
FatBits, newsletter of the Conejo Ventura Macintosh User Group, Ventura, California. www.cvmug.org
Mouse Tales, newsletter of the North Coast Mac Users Group, Cleveland, Ohio. homepage.mac.com/ncmug_oh
TMUG Insider, newsletter of the Tri-Valley Macintosh Users Group in Pleasanton, California. www.clubtmug.com
Friends:
Lynn Rybarczyk, retired teacher and good friend, San Diego, California
Websites:
Adobe.com -- Publishers of nearly every must-have creative software package including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash, Acobat, and many many more. www.adobe.com
Lifehacker.com -- Tips and downloads for getting things done. www.lifehacker.com
MacObserver.com -- You will get your Mac news here from now on. www.macobserver.com
QuadStar.com -- A Broadview Heights, Ohio, company focusing on providing excellent computer service and support to the local educational and business community. www.quadstar.com
Small Dog Electronics, an Apple Specialist and reseller of Apple Macintosh computers, peripherals, and software. www.smalldog.com
Publications:
Jay J. Nelson's Design Tools Monthly -- An executive summary of graphic design news which includes Mac news and rumors, new software and hardware announcements, upcoming seminars and shows, interesting websites, and other valuable information. You may request a free sample copy of this monthly newsletter by going to www.design-tools.com or calling 303.543.8400.
Macworld Magazine. The ultimate resource for Mac users. Each issue is packed with practical how-tos, in-depth features, the latest troubleshooting tips and tricks, industry news, and is home of Chris Breen's Mac 911 columns. www.macworld.com
If you are not a member of a Macintosh User Group, I highly recommend that you find one in your area and join. User groups are the greatest source of information and help available to all Mac users -- from novices to experts. You can find one in your area by going to apple.com/usergroups/find