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Saturday, May 12, 2007

Shut down, log out and then restart on steroids.

If you're one of those impatient types (like me), and hate confirmation windows, this could speed up things for you. Normally when you click Apple Menu>Restart, Shut Down or Log Out, a confirmation window pops up. While this is good sometimes, you may want to have the computer off asap and this will slow things down.
Instead, click the Apple menu as shown above, and then hold down the option(alt) key. The ellipses next to Shut Down, Restart and Log out will disappear and provided you keep the option key pressed, the desired action will be carried through with just the one click, and no confirmation box. Speed's things up a fair bit if you ask me.

As per MacTake tradition the option(alt) key is highlighted below.







Another nifty trick is if you want to Force Quit an app that you're currently in, and the cmd+option+escape keystroke is too laborious for your rsi tormented hands, click on the Apple menu and hold down the Shift key. The Force-Quit option will change to Force Quit 'Current App Name', continue holding down shift and click on it to immediately quit the app.

Adam Christianson, over at maccast.com told the world about today's first tip, about a year or at least 10 months ago. So kudo's to him, and I'm really just regurgitating it for any new mac users that obviously haven't been around to hear it directly from Adam.

Just a reminder about my exams: they're imminent and I can only update the MacTake every so often between study blocks so apologies if it seems a little stagnant around here. Feel free to continue to have a comment-based discussion and follow up if you want, I'll be able to check in on that more frequently.
Till next time folks! Happy Mac'ing!

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, Saturday, May 12, 2007 12:59 PM

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Exams & Plugging like a bathtub.

I've been listening to MBW again folks, so naturally I have a little bit of a buzz around me coupled with an insane desire to do something mac'ish. Oh, and I'm also featuring layers of concentrated sweat formed from squatting in humid ratholes.

So a few quick plugs and some recommendations. Check out School House. If you're going to school, it stands a fair chance of revolutionizing the way you organize things, and should help you slide through the course. I setting it all up now, and the GUI is a work of art itself.

Also: Blogger have been real sports and realized that the MacTake isn't a load of spam, and therefore taken away the word verification shebang from my Blogger dashboard. Thank'ee kindly.

I'm still sending out Joost invites so if you have the itch, email me at skippy[at]mactake.streamk.com. I'll try and do it in morning and evening batches. Exams are literally next week so things might be a little quiet on the MacTake till about next friday. Apologize for that, but you can keep up to date with Mac tips, tricks, news and humid ratholes by following the maccast, macbreak weekly and the typical mac user podcast.

For your general tech podcast crack, listen to this week in tech, and net@nite!
For now, why not check out this video of Microsoft's oPhone, on dvorak.org/blog.

Hey! I don't need to write my own content, I can just plug everyone else's!
Just kidding... I only plug stuff if I really like it. Anything mediocre doesn't make it. Catch up to you all properly after the exams.
Till next time folks: Happy Mac'ing!

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2 Comments. | By Skippy, Thursday, May 10, 2007 6:19 PM

Joost: Reborn. Invites flowing free.

Joost has resumed operation. Don't ask me why, or how. It just did. Good news is that I've sent off the latest batch of invites already, so if you want one, email me at skippy[at]mactake.streamk.com and I'll pop it off to you asap.

Onto other news: I just registered for an account at Scott Bourne's ApplePhoneShow. Its full of itty-bitty bites of iPhone magic. Definitely recommend that you go check it out sometime. Also, Alasdair on theworldtodayblog has directed us to a pretty-cool video. Conan visits Intel. Its on clipstr.com so if you have the time, check it out!
Happy Mac'ing!

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 8:02 AM

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Joost: Sudden Death.

Is anyone else having this problem? You see, I've promised my readers free joost invites; as many as they want providing my fingers can scurry around on the keyboard fast enough to send them all. However, Joost isn't co-operating. This isn't some lame excuse, this is a Joost-addicted man on fire.



And you can see why I'm feeling the burn. The Start Joost button is there, but grayed out. So near, but so far; to cite another cliché.

If anyone else is having this problem, stick up a comment, send an email, post a letter; just share your joost deprived worries with me, as well as tips.

I'll keep an eye on it, and will check again later tonight and tomorrow. Sorry to all of you who are waiting for an invite, you will get it, I promise.

Till then, Happy Mac'ing!

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6 Comments. | By Skippy, Wednesday, May 9, 2007 7:16 PM

Apple Update Anomalies. (with added voodoo)

Reader/Surfer 'M', from the UK has brought to my attention a little software update issue she's been having. Whenever Apple Menu>Software Update the WWAN support update consistently showed up on the top of the update list, but without the checkbox selected.

The update concerned can be found on the Apple Website here, and seems only to apply to wireless peripherals and express card's for MacBooks.
About this update
The WWAN Support Update v1.0 provides SW support for the following WWAN products:

Available on the Cingular network:
•Novatel Merlin XU870 ExpressCard (HSDPA)

Available on the Sprint network:
•Novatel Wireless Merlin EX720 Express Card (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 USB Modem (USB Adapter, EVDO Rev. A)

Available on the Verizon network:
•Novatel XV620 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. 0)
•Novatel V740 ExpressCard (EVDO Rev. A)
•Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 (USB Adapter, EVDO Rev. A)

To translate that: The update seems to be for the macbook range, and provides support for the above products, if perchance you ever happen to buy or use them. No harm done in installing it, and it may actually save you some time if you ever find yourself urging for that novatel wireless merlin goodiness.

On other news, Apple has released a 'placebo' patch that will correct the firmware on your apple macbook batteries.
Our batteries have firmware? Wow.
Read up on it at twit, and the apple download page.
Till next time, Happy Mac'ing!

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 6:52 PM

Joost Beta - Now for friends.

Good news for all us Joosters, a new version is out there with new channels and unlimited invitations. As far as I can tell, running the old version doesn't work anymore, so if you need your Joost fix head on over and download the new version. Correct me on that one however.

If you don't know what Joost is, read it up on the MacTake here, or visit joost.com. If then, after discovering the delightful world that is Joost, you want an invitation, email me at skippy[at]mactake.streamk.com and I'll whizz one your way.

Music, Swimsuit (bowchickabowwow) and other channels have been added. The kindly folks at Joost have also promised to add new channels every week, which is looking good for the Joost community.

Last but not least, we invite you to enjoy the variety of new shows we're introducing each week. This week we bring you a host of new channels from Universal Music, great science fiction like Earth Final Conflict, and Creature Comforts from Aardman Animations. We've also got swimsuit models and snowboarders, anime and animals, and much more. But that's just the beginning.
Each week we'll launch new channels - making sure you can watch what you want, when you want. So stay tuned...


You can download the new version of Joost here.

So the whole 'Happy Mac'ing' has been itching at me. Its a little strange, geeky and oh so band-camp'ish. But it is familiar and almost heart warming.

Should I keep it... or should it go? You tell me. Till then (grimace), Happy Mac'ing!

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2 Comments. | By Skippy, 4:40 PM

Wired Ducks & Trains

Just watched this on wired. Now I have to wonder how it was done, the slightest cable under that train would've taken the camera man's head off. I'm thinking because he turned the camera around, that it was automated, or completely blue(green) screened. If it was real, it would've been damned scary.

Check it out, and happy Mac'ing.

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 9:21 AM

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

New Mac Ads

Apple has released 3 new GetAMac ads. They're juicy, and full of Mac wisdom; the ads cover the issues of choosing one of Vista's many versions, to the genius bar & of course the slow release time of the whole OS.

Kind of a big stab at MS, and featuring more of PC's self deprecating humor and lamentations. At any rate, they're bound to induce a chuckle.



Check them out at apple.com/getamac

Happy Mac'ing!

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2 Comments. | By Skippy, Tuesday, May 8, 2007 8:59 PM

xhtml errors

Well it looks like Blogger is refusing to spit out valid comment code, giving my blog a lovely red sheen originating from the VALIDATION FAILED sign of the w3c site.

Till I write some nifty javascript to solve the problem, (that also doesn't get passed off as invalid html), it'll have to stay. Needless to say there is little performance or aesthetic hit, if any at all. Blogger is spitting out uppercase <BR/> tags, which of course under xhtml is undefined.

So as a disclaimer, I love blogger, but also, the xhtml invalidity is way out of my hands. (Unless anyone has a tip...)

Happy Mac'ing.

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 8:17 PM

Spamming FTW

I don't quite know why, but Blogger has put the MacTake on the potentially naughty list and now requires me to complete word-verification before posting.

Probably to do with the constant republishing of the blog as I update the templates, either way, when I click the button it tells me to click to request a review, I just get the help page telling me to click the button I already clicked to get a review. Probably just a short-term bug, or possibly Google have decided they don't like me (which would be odd considering my profound love for them).

Anyway, this is what Blogger has to say about spam blogs:
Blogs engaged in this behavior are called spam blogs, and can be recognized by their irrelevant, repetitive, or nonsensical text, along with a large number of links, usually all pointing to a single site.

In other topics, I'd like to do a senseless butt-kissing plug. You should go read dvorak.org/blog. I do.

Also, Apple is giving away free music. (in a way).

Happy Mac'ing!

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 6:52 PM

Template Update

Just to actually confirm this is the new template update for the MacTake. We borrowed the design from the new Dunhenry Website template that is still in the works.

Just to come forward with this straight away, the star-style permalinks were inspiration from daringfireball, which in the past I've used for typography and gui inspiration. Its a great website and definitely go check it out!

More features will be added to the template as time goes on, I have a flickr photostream to add as well as a delicious feed. In the mean time, hope you like the new design, and if you spot a bug email me at skippy[at]mactake.streamk.com.

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0 Comments. | By Skippy, 8:32 AM

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