FHSU AppleCats MAC Users

Be Brave, Try Something New!!

2007-05-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

We all use our computer uses it in different ways. Some only a few applications. Don't limit yourself. The fear of trying something new or the fear of screwing something up or risking
losing files, etc. seems to limit many from venturing past those few standard operation.

Jack and I are always looking for new Mac experiences. It is just jun learning new stuff. And if you are faithful about backing up your files, you'll never lose a thing. There are thousands of websites dedicated to sharing tips, tools, and shareware for your Mac. Here
are just a few of Small Dog Electronics favorites:

http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/

http://www.macworld.com/mac_help/

http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/

http://www.mactipsandtricks.com/

http://www.apple.com/support/

http://www.mactips.org/

http://www.macosxhints.com/

http://tips4mac.blogspot.com/

http://www.mac-hints-tips.com/

http://www.macfixit.com

Take a little time and explore your Mac and what it can do for you. Just like our classrooms, "same ole', same ole", doesn't cut it anymore.

Code for the Keyboard shortcut symbols

2007-05-10T14:54:00.000-05:00

It’s sometimes mystifying what keys go with what symbols.
Over at Dan Rodney’s blog, I found this extremely useful cheat-sheet
detailing the symbols that go with the keys:

http://www.danrodney.com/mac/index.html

Amazing that the option key is that weird ramp looking symbol!

Keyboard Shortcuts-Handy Hints

2007-04-27T12:51:00.000-05:00

The "Command" key is the one printed with an Apple or
a clover shape. It is the key next to the spacebar on most keyboards.
The Command key is many times called the Apple key.

1. Remove or rearrange icons on the right side of the menu bar by
holding down the Command key and dragging the icon. I learned this
tip at Tuaw.com.

2. Quickly and easily change a folder or file's name by clicking on
it once to highlight it, then click on the Return key. The title of
the file or folder will be highlighted, allowing you to quickly edit
it. I also learned this at Tuaw.com.

3. Close all applications except the one you're working in by
holding down Command, Option, and H all at the same time. I love this
instant way to clear screen clutter.

4. If you use tabs in Safari or Firefox, hold down the Command key while
clicking a link - the link will automatically open in a new tab.

5. The Option and Command keys can be used to simplify everyday computer
tasks, as well as unlock some novel functions not otherwise
available. For a fairly complete list, read this excellent article

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070415081451932

Spruce Up Google Reader

2007-04-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

Spruce Up Google Reader
By Jimmy@smalldog.com

I found this nifty little trick while looking around Digg.com. It
allows you to skin or theme Google Reader (http://reader.google.com)
and it sure does look better then the default!

You can use Mozilla Firefox, Camino, Safari, OmniWeb, and Opera. I
tried it out on FireFox so it was pretty simple. You need to download
and install the Stylish extension and then after you restart FireFox
you'll notice a little icon in the lower right corner (looks like a
piece of paper with a paint brush). Click on that icon and choose
Write Style >> For This URL. Paste in the special CSS file and it
should change the look of the Google Reader page!

Stylish Extension for FireFox:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108

Special CSS File:

http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/file_download/33

View this website for detail on how to get this trick to work with
the other web browsers:

http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/google-reader-theme

MacTribe

2007-04-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

"MacTribe is not the same old format. It takes the traditional
content and updates it for the new generation of Mac users, who use
their Macs as creative devices, entertainment systems, and symbols of
all around good taste. MacTribe is for those who use their Macs to
access the world.... MacTribe gives you all of the product and news
coverage you expect from a Mac magazines and much more. Unlike other
Mac magazines and web sites, MacTribe isn't just about the products.
We are a lifestyle magazine and web site for the Mac user, new and
old. As the Mac market grows and changes, so should the coverage of
it. That's what MacTribe is about.

MacTribe brings you the most exciting in-depth features on Apple
Products, Interviews, Design, Photography and Multimedia. To learn
more about the people who bring you MacTribe.com, MacTriber Weekly,
and MacTribe Magazine, keep reading."

See MacTribe's website:

http://www.mactribe.com/

Laptop Battery Saving Tips

2007-04-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

Laptop Battery Conservation Tips
By Matt@Smalldog.com

Small Dog’s home base in Waitsfield experienced an unexpected power
outage this morning. I wrote this on a MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo 2.33GHZ
15” machine, which a half hour ago had a full charge but only
estimated 1 hour 45 minutes of remaining battery life.

I know from experience with my 1.67GHZ PowerBook G4 that the pro
machines lag behind the consumer models in battery life, and since I
am in the position of having to conserve battery life I thought I’d
share my technique.

- Lower the display brightness all the way down. Doing this will
generally double the estimated remaining battery life if beforehand
you were set to full brightness.

- Disable keyboard backlighting.

- Ensure that Energy Saver is set to spin down hard disks when possible.

- Put your computer to sleep whenever you’re not actively using it,
like when you’re on the phone, in the bathroom, or walking the dog.

- Eject optical disks. They spin, taking power, even when they’re not
actively being used.

- Have lots of RAM installed. This helps prevent excessive virtual
memory use (virtual memory is hard drive space that’s turned into
“virtual” RAM. When the computer needs more RAM than is physically
installed, it’ll dip into virtual memory reserves, and cause
increased disk activity. For this reason, avoid invoking dashboard
for its excessive memory use; consider using activity monitor to kill
the dock process, which owns Dashboard. If you’ve invoked Dashboard,
killing the Dock will free up all the memory it used. Consider
disabling Spotlight as well (see http://aplawrence.com/foo-mac/remove-
spotlight.html) because its indexing is both processor- and disk-
intensive.

- Use your iPod for music. iTunes keeps the hard drive working.

- Type in TextEdit, not Word. Word’s autosave feature spins up the
hard drive all the time; TextEdit does no such thing.

- Don’t keep unused Applications running in the background.

- If you use Quicksilver (you should by the way—http://
quicksilver.blacktree.com), ensure that it does not re-catalogue,
which is hard drive- and processor-intensive. Set it to rescan every
24 hours.

- We’re still in the dark here, but the generator is chugging away
keeping the web servers and VOIP phone system up and running. With
these techniques I increased estimated battery life from 1h45m to
3h20m…that’s a big difference!

How to Forward Delete on a Mac

2007-04-06T18:09:00.000-05:00

How to Forward Delete on a Mac
by Ed@smalldog.com

One of the most common questions from recent switchers (besides "can I use a right click mouse") is how to forward delete, as can easily be done on a Windows PC. Somewhat confusingly, some people simply call forward deleting "delete," and the backwards deleting Mac users are used to "backspacing."

If you use the delete key on almost any Mac, the cursor travels backwards, erasing the words behind it. However, the Apple Pro keyboard, and many other third party keyboards (such as my incredibly loud but fun-to-type-on Matias Tactile Pro) have a dedicated forward delete key. Its symbol is a arrow pointing right with an "x" printed on it. On your Apple or similar keyboard, this key is located above the the four arrow keys between the letter portion of the keyboard and the number pad. Again, it will be printed with a right-pointing
arrow with an "x" in it, and it may also say "del." See picture here:

Apple laptops don't have a dedicated forward delete key. To forward delete on PowerBooks, iBooks, MacBook or MacBook Pros, simply hold down the fn key (function key) and press delete. The cursor will gobble up the words in from of it. On MacBooks, MacBook Pros,PowerBooks, and iBooks, the fn key is located on lower left corner of the keyboard, under the shift key.

Some people like to remap their Apple keyboards, so they can dedicate a key to forward-deleting. Many people recommend and use DoubleCommand for this. Read about DoubleCommand here:

http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/

A few Interesting stories to check out

2007-03-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

Apple adds Major League baseball to iTunes
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/03/30/major.league.on.itunes/

Apple's Bootcamp 1.2 beta supports Vista
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/03/28/apple.bootcamp.12.beta/

Here is a nice comprehensive list of Mac Sites
Digg.com
Macaddict.com
MacWorld.com
MacLife.com
Macrumors.com
Macnn.com
Appleinsider.com
Macminute.com
Tuaw.com
Macobserver.com
Macsurfer.com
iPodobserver.com
Applematter.com
Thinksecret.com
Lowendmac.com
Dealsontheweb.com
Pcworld.com
Slashdot.com
Macgamer.com
Barefeats.com
Dealmac.com
Macitt.com
Macdirectory.com
Macsimumnews.com
Macspeedzone.com
Macreviewzone.com
Macupdate.com
Mymac.com
Tidbits.com
Top-tech-news.com
Versiontracker.com

Apple Boot Camp Updated W/ Vista Support! DyKnow works too!!!

2007-03-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

Apple Boot Camp Updated W/ Vista Support!

Apple updated Boot Camp and the new update includes support for 32-
bit Windows Vista. I haven’t installed and tried this out myself but
I sure hope it adds the ability to have the scrolling trackpad. I
believe that was one major feature missing in the previous build when
Boot Camp didn’t support Vista. I had some troubles getting the
trackpad to work properly.

Also, Jack Jackson and Kenny Rigler had been testing DyKnow on an Intel Mac with Parrallels and they find it to work well. So don't think you are left out of the loop with DyKnow if you are a Mac person.

Share Why to Buy a Mac with a Friend!!

2007-03-24T10:41:00.000-05:00

Why Buy A Mac?
By Ed@Smalldog.com

Over the past couple of weeks, several people have asked me why they should buy a Mac when Macs seem more expensive than some advertised PCs. Well, here are my top five reasons why Macs easily justify their price:

1. Quality. Apple desktop and laptop computers are rated #1 by Consumer Reports for repair history, tech support, and consumer satisfaction. Apple leads all other reviewed computer manufactures, including Sony, Dell, and HP in all those categories. Any computer can have tech problems, but statistically Macs are much less likely to have them happen.

2. There are still no viruses for OS 10.4 in the wild, and there never have been. Of course, this could change, but Apple has proven it has built an extremely secure OS. Apple is committed to keeping the OS secure and up-to-date as well.

3. You can run multiple OS's on any Intel-based Mac. Mac OS X, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Linux, Unix etc. If you buy one Mac and install Windows, it's like owning two or more computers. Unix and X11 are already installed. Windows can be downloaded over the web. No PC can effectively run the Mac OS at all. For may people, especially web designers and scientists, this is a must-have feature.

4. Awesome multi-media architecture. Macs are ready to make high quality media projects out of the box with iLife and the extremely multimedia-friendly OS X. Macs are ready to run ultra high-end, cutting edge multimedia apps as well, such as Shake, Avid, etc.

5. High resale value. It's a pain if you want to buy a used Mac, but great if you are selling one. Macs retain the highest resale of any computer in the industry. This makes it somewhat easier to upgrade to a new Mac in the future. Macs retain high resale value because they
tend to be extremely reliable.

Of course, I am very biased. But I love using my MacBook Pro for writing, designing, communicating, and yes, even for dreaming. OS X, even with it's limitations, is really the best operating system on the planet. I also love the features, power and design of Macintosh computers, especially now that we have the power and flexibility of the Intel processors.

I do wish every Mac came with more USB ports, though...

iPods are more than Music

2007-03-08T18:37:00.000-06:00

iWriter in the news

Last week the Education Technology Services group at Penn State University released a white paper on iWriter, our utility for creating study tools for iPod. Cole Camplese, the director of ETS at Penn State, also included a greatsample iWriter project in his blog posting about iWriter and his team’s work with it. iWriter is available as a free 15-day trial, and for $29.95. http://www.talkingpanda.com/news/

Homepage for TalkingPanda: http://www.talkingpanda.com/index.php
The have several other cool products.

Martin Kollman shared this resource.

Widget of the Week: Be careful with this one!

2007-03-08T18:32:00.000-06:00

Widget of the Week
By Art@Smalldog.com

This week's widget is one that I would suggest you AVOID downloading and making active on your Dashboard.

It's called Airport Radar and is posted by MacWireless.com.

Here's the link;

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/networking_security/airportradar.html

The intention of this widget is to allow your computer to seek out and test signal strength for any wireless networks in the area.

It has been my experience that many of these kinds of wireless radar widgets actually detract from overall performance. They tie up your wireless functionality because they are constantly scanning for signal in the background. Definitely not desirable for someone who depends on a fast, reliable wireless network.

If you like your signal strength, do NOT download and install this widget.

Of course, savvy users like yourselves would download it (as it could be convenient in some cases) and only turn it on when needed.

New Parallels Update

2007-03-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

New Parallels Update
Submitted By Parallels, Edited By Ed@Smalldog.com

Parallels sent us a great introduction to some of the key features in their latest update. It's anchored by two innovative features: Parallels Coherence and Parallels Transporter. Here's the run-down:

Parallels Coherence: A groundbreaking new feature that lets users run Windows applications on their Macs just like they are native Mac applications. When a user switches to Coherence mode, the Windows desktop disappears, leaving their Windows applications running directly on their Mac desktop. This gives them a native Mac experience even though they are working with Windows applications.
While in Coherence, users can load and run important Windows-only applications like Outlook and Internet Explorer directly from their Mac application dock. Each user’s Coherence experience is completely customizable and provides numerous options on how to load and run applications and when and how the user sees the Windows task bar and Start menu.

More information on Coherence, and screenshots of the feature in
action, is available at:

http://www.parallels.com/products/coherence/

Parallels Transporter: A powerful new migration tool that gives users the ability to completely move their entire old Windows PC -- including all of its settings, applications, files and profiles -- directly to a Parallels virtual machine running on their new Mac, without re-installing Windows. Transporter is particularly important for users switching from Windows to OS X by allowing them to keep the “security blanket” of their familiar Windows PC while they learn how to leverage the power of their new Mac. It also eliminates the hassle of having to “start from scratch” with a new Windows installation, which for many non-technical users can be a daunting experience.

Transporter also instantly converts VMware Workstation and Microsoft Virtual PC images to Parallels-ready images. This means that Virtual PC users working on PowerPC Macs can upgrade to an Intel-Mac running Parallels without losing any information or applications, and that VMware Workstation and VMware Player users can easily upgrade their virtual machines, or any VMware Virtual Appliance, to a Parallels virtual machine.

In addition to these two major features, the Update includes a number of other important upgrades that substantially improve the user experience and drive productivity:

“Plug and Play” USB 2.0 support: By upgrading USB support from 1.1 to 2.0, users can now access popular USB devices like external hard drives, printers, and scanners, and use them at full native speed, simply by plugging the device into their Macs. Built in iSight cameras are also fully supported. There is no complicated setup required to make USB devices work.

Full-feature virtual CD/DVD drive: Users can burn CDs and DVDs directly in virtual machines, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD just like on a real PC.

Support for Boot Camp partitions: The update gives Boot Camp users the ability to easily run their entire Boot Camp installation, directly in a Parallels virtual machine, without any complex setup or manual reconfiguration. Users can switch between loading Windows in Parallels Desktop or Boot Camp as often as they’d like.

True “Drag and Drop”: Easily share files between Windows and OS X by dragging documents and folders from one desktop to another. Drag and Drop is completely customizable to ensure maximum file and system security.

Support for Windows Vista: Users can create a new virtual machine that runs Windows Vista, or upgrade a Windows XP virtual machine to a Windows Vista virtual machine without losing any information or starting from scratch.

A complete list of new features and improvements found in the new version of Parallels Desktop for Mac is available at

http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/features/.

Games for your Mac

2007-02-28T21:48:00.000-06:00

I am not into games, but I am sure many of you are. If that is the case check out Apple's Game Trailer page. It is a theater where you can preview Mac games before they come out. Here's the link;
http://www.apple.com/games/trailers/

Game trailers are pretty good at letting you know what it is all about by using actual screen shots. There are literally dozens of games listed and many that will work on your iPod Video.

Steve Jobs Commencement Address at Stanford

2007-02-28T21:44:00.000-06:00

Commencement Address at Stanford University

by Steve Jobs

"Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever -- because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference."

-Steve Jobs

This speech was delivered June 12, 2005.

This is from Learn Out Loud Podcast. Very Interesting even if it was in 2005.

Get Rid of Stuffit

2007-02-28T21:28:00.000-06:00

Get Rid of Stuffit
By Jimmy@Smalldog.com

If there’s any one application that I install on each of my Macintosh computers, it’s Stuffit. Stuffit if you don’t already know is an application that works with compressed and archive files. These are .ZIP, .RAR, .TAR, .SITX and .HQX file types (there are 25 in total that it currently supports). Of course each time I need to install I have to fill out Stuffits download request form, and then wait for them to email me a download link to the software. It gets to be kind of annoying, although it’s partly my fault since I usually forget to make a copy of the software or I forget where I put a copy.

I just recently downloaded a file that used the 7z format. Unfortunately Stuffit didn’t work with this file format so I was on the lookout for an application that would work with this file. After doing a quick Google search I came across a very simple application called ‘The Unarchiver’! This program is about 1.4MBs whereas Stuffit
is about 14MBs. Obviously The Unarchiver only un-archives things so that’s probably why it’s much smaller. Of course that’s all I really need it to do anyways, I don’t really need the extras in Stuffit. It opens all the file types I need it to open and I don’t have fill out some form to download it!

I think I’ve just seen the last of Stuffit, and I gladly am welcoming in The Unarchiver!

You can download a free copy of The Unarchiver here:

http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver.html

Mac Gaming News - Ambrosia Brings DEFCON to the Mac

2007-02-24T10:18:00.000-06:00

Ambrosia Software is teaming with Introversion Software to bring the popular PC Game DEFCON to the Mac. DEFCON is an online multiplayer strategy game based on the threat of thermonuclear armageddon and was inspired by the 1983 moviw War Games. The game is expected to be available for download at the Ambrosia Software Web site in March, and will be priced at US$25

Speech Recognition for OSX

2007-02-24T10:08:00.000-06:00

ScriptPaks add voice control for many of your favorite applications by installing scripts and macros into iListen 1.7 or greater. Once installed, you will be able to use your voice for many other tasks in the application for which the scripts in the ScriptPak were designed. With ScriptPaks we have done the scripting so you don't have to.

This ScriptPak is designed for Mac OS X 10.4 or greater and iListen 1.7 or greater.

Find out the Commands in the iRemember ScriptPak at Macspeech

TeachMac

2007-02-24T09:34:00.000-06:00

Presenting the Class of '07…

TeachMac is a searchable library of cross platform, multimedia computer tutorials built by Mac users for Mac users. With over 40 new features and fixes and new free content every week, TeachMac is better than ever.

New Features of TeachMac '07

See topics lists before you download
Advanced Search
Editable custom modules
Displays video at native resolution, even HD
More features here

Learn What You Need

New to the Mac and want to learn everything? Need a quick tutorial on Apple Mail?.. in German? Want to learn how to build a Cocoa web browser? Download the free TeachMac application and grab lots of tutorials ranging in price from free to $15 or buy a subscription for only $49.
Details here

Teach What You Know

Spreadsheet Samurai, Gaming Guru or Programming Paragon, share your knowledge, help build a community of teachers and learners, author your own modules, and make some dough.
More about authoring modules with TeachMac

http://www.teachmac.com/

See Through Stickies

2007-02-24T09:30:00.000-06:00

Apple's Stickies application is handy for storing quick notes and other bits of information, but those note windows can get in the way of everything else on your Macs desktop. If you need to see the contents of a Stickie window and also see what's behind it, just make the window see-through. Here's how:

http://www.macobserver.com/tip/2007/02/23.1.shtml

Sending text Messages with iChat

2007-02-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

Cell phone text messaging is a convenient way to communicate with someone when speaking on th phone isn't appropriate. The process of entering a message on a cell phone's number pad, however, is less than convenient. If your Mac is handy, you can use iChat instead to send messages to your friend's cell phones. Here's how:

http://www.macobserver.com/tip/2006/08/21.1.shtml

Use Tiger's (OS 10.4) ColorSync Utility to Quickly

2007-02-23T13:12:00.000-06:00

Use Tiger's (OS 10.4) ColorSync Utility to Quickly Shrink Images
by don@smalldog.com

I discovered this tip by accident. A customer asked how he could quickly reduce the size of digital images for sending via email. The customer didn't want to use iPhoto or Mail to do this (see Mac Treat #14 for how to resize photos in OS X Mail.) Also, he didn't want to download the excellent (and free) ImageWell application (linked
below.) Basically, he wanted to do what he was used to doing in Windows -
right-clicking on an image to resize it.

To do this in Tiger, select an image you wish to resize. Right-click on the image, or, if you use a laptop or a single-click mouse, click on the image while holding down the control key (usually the key located in the lower left corner of the keyboard.) A contextual menu will open up. In this menu, select "Open With" and chose "Color Sync Utility."

In ColorSync Utility, click on the square resizing icon, which is second from the right. If you don't see the square resizing box icon, click on the oval tic tac-looking button on the upper right corner of the ColorSync window.

When you click on the square resizing box, a menu will open up, with an option to Resize: scale. You can chose how small you want the image to be by percentages. You won't see the changed to the image until you save it. IMPORTANT NOTE: the new, smaller image will overwrite the original image unless you choose Save > As and rename the new image. This is why iPhoto is great - non-destructive image editing means you can always revert to the original photo.

However, for quickly resizing an image, ColorSync Utility is fast - it only take four steps, including saving the image.

Download ImageWell to make simple image edits (including scaling them down) here:

http://www.xtralean.com/IWOverview.html

Problems staying connected in iChat?

2007-02-14T08:26:00.000-06:00

Solving Random AIM Disconnections
by Seth@Smalldog.com

Recently I was having problems connecting to iChat, was getting
random disconnections from AIM, and I couldn't video chat. I did
some research on various message boards, where I discovered a
consensus that port 443 is the most stable for video chat. My iChat
preferences were set to port 1053. To view your iChat port settings,
simply launch iChat, then browse to Preferences > Accounts > Server
Settings. There you will see assigned ports.

And here is another resource with screenshot instructions on how to fix from MacObserver.
http://www.macobserver.com/tip/2007/02/14.1.shtml

Arizona Mac Users Group

2007-02-09T11:12:00.000-06:00

http://www.amug.org/

WoW!!! this site is full of resources. Take a look.

Find out why the world’s leading researchers are using Macs.

2007-02-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

Find out why the world’s leading researchers are using Macs.

http://www.apple.com/education/whymac/science/

NeoOffice

2007-02-09T10:56:00.000-06:00

NeoOffice^®

is an open source software development project created by Patrick Luby and Edward Peterlin

NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/) is a fully-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open-source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis.

It is available for free from the NeoOffice download page.

Emails show MS experienced OS X Tiger envy

2007-02-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

Newly released documents reveal that Microsoft executives were awed by Apple's future operating system features, saying that the it may not be able to achieve Apple's innovation levels and acknowledging future, similar Windows Vista features would be directly compared with Mac OS X. Confirming earlier reports that Vista development was inspired by Tiger ..... To Read the whole article go to:
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/02/08/ms.inspired.by.os.x.tiger/

Resizing Photos in OS X Mail

2007-02-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

Resizing Photos in OS X Mail
By Don@Smalldog.com

I first noticed this tip on the Unofficial Apple Weblog (www.tuaw.com/) but later also noticed it at Apple's Hot News RSS feed. I didn't realize that you could do this but it has saved me some steps. I showed it to a few people here at Small Dog and most
didn't know about it (except for Morgan and Jimmy that seem to know everything). Normally, when I would include a picture in an email, I would open iPhoto and find the picture I wanted to send and choose the "mail" icon to open a new mail message with that picture in it. When I did so, I was greeted with a dialog box that would let me choose the size of the photo. Then I would compose my email or drag the picture from that email message opened by iPhoto to the message I was working upon. A lot of steps to send a picture.

You do not have to go through all that! After you attach a photo to your email message (you can just drag-and-drop the image into the new message window from iPhoto), take a look in the bottom-right corner of your email message window, and you’ll see a pop-up menu where you can choose the image size you’d like to send. As soon as you choose a size (other than actual size), the image is immediately scaled down right within the email message window so you can see the exact size of the photo you’re sending.

FreeSMUG: Free OpenSource Software Mac Users Group

2007-01-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

Tutorial, info, news, help on end-users Free and OpenSource Mac software

Open Source Mac

2007-01-24T11:09:00.000-06:00

A Simple list of Free, open-source software for Mac OS X

Free and open-source software is good for you and good for the world. This is the best OS X software that we know of and the links to download them.

iWork '07 nears release with new spreadsheet app

2007-01-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

iWork '07 nears release with new spreadsheet app

By Ryan Katz, Senior Editor

January 5, 2007 - Apple's launch of iWork '07 next week is expected to be touted as one of the company's more significant product launches of the year, most notably due to the addition of a new spreadsheet application. This third component will better enable Apple to compel Mac users to forgo Microsoft Office and consider its offerings instead.

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As first reported by Think Secret in July, the application, referred to internally as Lasso and expected to be titled Numbers or Charts, will offer more than 200 hundred functions and full support for importing and exporting Microsoft Excel documents.

In addition, countless templates will offer easy, first-rate options for many popular categories, from personal planning and finance to business marketing and sales.

Since our initial and follow-up reports on Lasso, sources have managed to provide images of the application's icon and default blank interface. It is uknown, however, from what stage of Lasso's development these images date from, and sources caution the final shipping version may differ considerably.

Sources have also passed along additional notes regarding features in Lasso, including many that will transcend all iWork applications, such as conditional formatting in spreadsheets, enabling images to be treated as content in table cells, and an iPhoto-like "heads-up display" interface offering image editing options. Other improvements will focus on the interface, improving how documents are viewed and navigated and allowing multiple inspectors to be snapped together and moved as a group.

OS X Leopard will create no new jobs

2007-01-24T10:45:00.000-06:00

OS X Leopard will create no new jobs but Microsofts Vistsa will create 100,000 in tech support and helpdesks!!
APC magazine, 13th December 2006 by Tim Gaden

Researchers have discovered that Apple's new operating system, codenamed Leopard, will create 0 new jobs when it is launched early next year.

This research (which was not commissioned by Apple) stands in sharp contrast to the findings of an industry report (commissioned by Microsoft) that Vista's release will create 100,000 new jobs in tech support and help desk positions.

Commenting on the impact Vista will have, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple Bertrand Serlet was not surprised:

"...underneath it's still Windows. It still has the registry at its core. It still has DLL hell and it still has this well-loved feature called activation. If you can't innovate, you have to imitate, but it's never quite as good."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs took a similar view ("Our friends up north [Microsoft] spend over five billion dollars on research and development and all they seem to do is copy Google and Apple") but was more charitable, finding the root cause in a lack of vision and life experience on the part of Microsoft's CEO:

"I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger."

While Vista seems set to impact on the economy by creating more IT support jobs to fix the broken or frozen computers of other employees, research shows that Apple will take a different path.

Apple is well known for its award-winning innovation. With Leopard's release Apple will continue an innovative strategy of impacting on the economy by increasing individual productivity. It will let people get more of their own work done, faster and smarter, without the need for endless calls to tech support, compatibility hassles, driver problems or time wasted defending their PCs from viruses and trojans.

A spokesperson for Apple was unable to say how this on-going productivity boost for every Mac owner compared to the US$ 70 billion ($89 billion) Vista is expected to inject into the economy.

Is Steve Jobs Too Dangerous For Apple’s Future?

2007-01-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

Is Steve Jobs Too Dangerous For Apple’s Future?
By Jeffrey Mincey - Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Just as Bill Gates steps aside as head of Microsoft, Apple’s Steve Jobs reaches a zenith of near-cult popularity.

What price glory for the man who IS Apple? Is Steve Jobs too dangerous for Apple’s future?

Most of us who claim the position of Apple watcher, Mac user, and techno pundit shudder at the thought of Steve Jobs leaving Apple.

Greedily, we worry about the resulting stock price crash, with recent estimates of a 30-percent drop should Steve leave Apple.

Mac faithful look forward to Jobs’ Macworld keynotes as much as zealous followers of a religion look forward to words on high from a spiritual master.

You know something has changed in the public psyche when a non-entertainer such as Steve Jobs becomes fodder for episodes of Saturday Night Live.

Such has been the case a few times the past year or so as parodies of Steve Jobs have appeared a couple of times on Saturday Night Live, and on MadTV.

I’m not tracking such appearances but managed to see all three and drew a singular conclusion. The bits are funny, somewhat accurate, but not good for Apple’s future.

Why not? After all, Bill Gates as head of Microsoft and the world’s richest man is arguably more well known throughout the world than Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs.

Microsoft’s fortunes are not tied to Bill Gates in the same was as Apple’s fortunes are to Steve Jobs. Gates appointed Steve Ballmer as CEO and no one blinked.

Who’s the heir apparent at Apple? There is none.

Some say that Apple is Jobs. Jobs is Apple. In a way, I am forced to agree.

No other company of such prominence in the tech industry has a CEO who retains such micro control over a company’s character and product line.

Jobs believes that art and technology are one and the same and Apple exudes that personal combination in the Mac, Mac OS X, the iPod, even the not-yet-released iPhone.

If all good things come to an end, is it possible that Steve Jobs, elevated to parody material as a Zen-influenced Svengali on popular comedy shows, is dangerous to Apple’s future? Yes.

The issue is not “if” Job leaves Apple, it’s “when” Jobs leaves, and under what circumstances. As it stands now, the company’s fortunes are too intertwined in Jobs’ mesmerizing and now highly public leadership persona.

Elevated higher in the public’s consciousness, Jobs could even detract buyers from Apple’s products, not wanting to be associated with a “religious” purchase from those “Apple fanatics.”

With no successor in sight, with Apple riding a huge wave of popular products, record sales and profits, is Steve Jobs becoming too dangerous for Apple’s future? Yes, we’re headed in that direction.

Share your concerns, insights, perspective with other Mac360 readers in the Comments section below.

Worthless Widgets. Until Now. I See The Light.

2007-01-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

Worthless Widgets. Until Now. I See The Light.

By Jeffrey Mincey - Wednesday, January 24, 2007 from MAC360

My routine for Mac OS X’s Dashboard Widgets has been simple and pure. Avoid them at all costs.

2,600 Widgets make for worthless utility shopping; much ado over not much. Until today. Finally, A Widget that’s worthwhile.

Allow me to back up a moment. I’m not a fan of Mac OS X’s ubiquitous eye candy utilities-- Dashboard Widgets. Why? What’s to like?

Most Widgets don’t do much, certainly not as much as regular Mac utilities, and they take up valuable system resources. Yes, your mileage may vary.

I’ve devoted little time to Widgets other than weather maps, current temperatures, and stock prices. Out of over 2,600 Widgets, that’s about the best I’ve seen.

Widgets are coming to Apple’s new iPhone, too. That tidbit of knowledge lit a little fire under my curiosity buttock, and I thought I’d take a look at recent Widgets.

The one thing I like about the Dashboard and Widgets is the ability to assign a ”hot spot” on my Mac’s screen. All I need do is move my mouse pointer to the upper left corner, and it’s Widget Heaven.

Of course, there’s not much there. Weather. Weather radar. Stock prices. Calendar. Watch Mouse. Package Tracker. Say Cheese (daily dose of Dilbert).

Hmmm. Come to think of it, that’s almost half a screen full on a 23-inch Cinema Display. Still, I’m into efficiency and don’t want worthless Widgets to get in the way of my productivity.

It’s a flick of the wrist, a quick glance here and there, and back to work.

That’s the way God intended Widgets to behave.

Widgets on the iPhone are a natural extension of tools we could use, as much for visual stimulation as information. That’s what got me to thinking…

What else is out there that could benefit from my ”flick the wrist” motion to invoke the few Widgets that meet The Mincey Seal Of Approval?

Here’s one that smacked me in the face. VoteWatch.

As with most Widgets, VoteWatch is free. It’s also descriptively titled. VoteWatch tracks the recent votes on various bills in the US Senate and House of Representatives.

Enter a zip code and you get a statewide view of how your Senators and Congresspeople voted on specific bills. At the right time of year, that could be handy for the politically minded.

What’s next? Poll results for the presidential runs by Clinton, Obama, McCain, Romney, Guiliani, and company? Why not? Widgets will be wonderful during elections.

This one Widget got me to thinking about iPhone. Weather? Sure. Stocks? Naturally. How about a traffic Widget for current conditions by zip code? Would that be cool in an iPhone, or what?

Forget terrestrial radio in your car. Forget XM and Sirius satellite radio in your car? What about a radio Widget in your iPhone? See where this is going?

I’m the Mac360 Darth Vader of Widgets. I don’t care for them, don’t use many, haven’t found much value-- until now. Added to an iPhone, Widgets open up new avenues of value.

Let’s not argue over the value of Widgets to Mac OS X. We all have a favorite or two, and plenty we hate and would never use. But, the iPhone opens up a whole new mobile world of Widget Mobility™ right?

What kind of Widgets would you like to see on an iPhone? As usual, your wisdom and perspective are appreciated and ready for public promotion via the Comments section below.

• MAC360 By Jeffrey Mincey. Published on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at 2:30 am
• Category: Widget Watch

What To Do With A Broken Mac

2007-01-17T06:31:00.000-06:00

What To Do With A Broken Mac
By Jon@Smalldog.com

"I'm sick of this evil computer - put it out of it's misery and mine - get my data off and have it SCRAPPED!" Yes, we (Small Dog) do sometimes hear this, even about Macintosh computers.

However, many people don't know that, depending on the machine's
specific failure, it might possibly qualify for the Apple Repair
Extension program.

If your Mac dies and it's out of warranty, the first step should be
to arm yourself with knowledge. Visit Apple's website and discussion boards to see if your Mac's failure is common.Depending on how common the problem is, Apple might have a repair extension program that allows you to get your machine fixed as though it was still in warranty. This program is cleverly called the "Repair Extension Program."

Apple lists all the current REPs, Repair Extension Programs, at the following URL;

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=500338

Posted by Cyndi

Dashboard widget is a virtual data destroyer

2007-01-17T06:29:00.000-06:00

Widget of the Week

Simply called Shredder, this OS X Tiger Dashboard widget is a virtual data destroyer. Got a file you no longer need? Simply click and hold on it, press F12, or your custom keystroke for engaging the Dashboard, and drag the selection to the Shredder.

There are three levels of "trashing" your files through this virtual paper eating machine; low, medium, and high. Ever heard of the 35 pass Gutmann algorithm for erasing data? It's five times more aggressive in destroying data than the US Dept of Defense 7 pass minimum.

To find the link for this really neat utility offered by
Interdimension Media, click here;

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/business/shredder.html
Pretty cool
posted by Cyndi

NoodleTools

2006-12-20T12:29:00.000-06:00

Smart Tools. Smart Research.
At NoodleTools, we create innovative software that teaches students and supports teachers and librarians throughout the entire research process. Search intelligently. Assess the quality of results. Record, organize and synthesize information using online notecards. Format your bibliography in MLA or APA style. Smart.

NoodleBib MLA Starter: Simple MLA bibliography tool for our youngest scholars (grades 1-5, ESL). Create a full bibliography (limited citation types, no notecards).	NoodleTools Knowledge Base: Our growing, easy-to-search database of how-to articles and expert answers to your trickiest MLA and APA citation questions.
NoodleBib Express: Individual citations in MLA or APA format. Full range of citation types. No login required.	Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need: Search strategies based on an analysis of your topic (also try NoodleQuest, the interactive version).

posted by Cyndi

MACHEIST

2006-12-20T12:15:00.000-06:00

MACHEIST just finished selling a bundle of 10 different software programs worth $356.74 for only $49.00. And 25% of the purchase when to charity, they raised $200,000. Pretty cooll!!

Anyway visit the site, there are many other interesting things and it is quite creative and entertaining and they hint at doing this again soon.

http://macheist.com/

Desktastic: Lets you draw on your screen!!

2006-12-20T11:57:00.000-06:00

• Desktastic lets you draw directly on your Mac OS X desktop with your mouse. Useful for teachers, presenters, and ... you?

Use your desktop for more than just a mess of icons? Sure! Desktastic 3.0
lets you take notes, visually demonstrate, draw stupid pictures, and much more!


	Printing Pin your funny drawings on the wall.			Auto-Saving and Exporting Never lose your drawings!

	Wacom Tablet Support With eraser and pressure sensitivity!			Draw-On-Top Hotkey One press to bring Desktastic on top.



	Draw Tool The key: draw directly on the desktop!			Width Stronger line? No problem.

	Text Tool Type basic text, numbers, notes, etc.			Opacity More transparent? Solid? Piece of cake.

	Stamp Tool Stamp any image all over the screen!			Color A pleasing palette of primaries.

	Eraser Tool Don't worry - we all make mistakes.			Draw-On-Top Toggle Draw on top of all windows!

posted by Cyndi

Mac users crack the Office 2007 code

2006-12-20T11:42:00.000-06:00

Mac users crack the Office 2007 code

from APCMag http://apcmag.com/

Since the news broke that Microsoft's Mac Business Unit is not supplying converters for Microsoft Office's new "Open Format" documents, the Mac community has been busy finding its own ways around the problem.

There are now at least four ways to get around Office for Mac's inability to deal with these new files. I've road-tested them all and now list them in order, from easiest to greatest pain in the butt.

For the test, I started with a simple Word 2007 document, containing some text with some bold and italics and a picture:

To read the entire article go to:

http://apcmag.com/4853/four_ways_for_mac_users_to_crack_the_office_2007_docx_lock_out

posted by Cyndi & Jack

Ajax13

2006-12-07T07:14:00.000-06:00

ajaxWrite

ajaxWrite is a web-based word processor that can read and write Microsoft Word and other open standard document formats. With the look and feel similar to Microsoft Word, ajaxWrite provides a powerful yet familiar and easy-to-use word processing environment.

ajaxSketch

ajaxSketch is a web-based drawing tool that handles the SVG format natively. With a familiar drawing interface, ajaxSketch allows you to create and edit complex SVG images that are easily imported into Microsoft Visio, Adobe Illustrator, Inksape, Macromedia Freehand, and other SVG capable programs.

ajaxXLS

The ajaxXLS viewer and editor allow you to create and edit Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice spreadsheets. The ajaxXLS familiar and easy-to-use interface allows you to handle all your basic spreadsheet needs directly from your browser.

ajaxPresents

This presentation editor lets your read, create and save Microsoft PowerPoint and OpenOffice presentation files. In addition to a familiar web-based interface that allows you to easily handle presentation files, ajaxPresents also provides a publishing utility so you can share your files with your colleagues and collect feedback from visitors.

ScreenCastsOnline

2006-12-07T06:59:00.000-06:00

ScreenCastsOnline is your one stop shop for free video mac tutorials to help you get the most out of your mac.

Published each week, the free video tutorials (screencasts) cover many aspects of using your Mac including OSX tutorials, switcher tutorials, Mac applications, Web 2.0 and much much more!

http://www.screencastonline.com/

posted by Cyndi

Text ALOUD and AbleREADER

2006-12-07T06:46:00.000-06:00

TextAloud uses voice synthesis to convert text into spoken audio. Listen on your PC or create MP3 or WMA files for use on portable devices like iPods, PocketPCs, and CD players.

•

Directly open Word, PDF, and HTML files

•

Advanced Pronunciation Tools

•

Toolbar plug-ins for Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Outlook

•

Optional premium voices for a wide variety of accents and languages

•

TextAloud is for Windows. Mac Users
Click Here for a Mac reader and voices.

Welcome To AbleReader!

AbleReader uses text to speech to read text aloud so you can listen on your computer. Included with your AbleReader purchase are AT&T Natural Voices™ 16kHz Mike and Crystal. These premium computer voices bring your text to life in clear, natural sounding speech.

Both Windows and Mac versions of AbleReader are offered. If you have a high speed Internet connection, you can choose to download everything after purchasing. You also have the option to purchase the software on CD with shipping to anywhere in the world.

What AbleReader can do for you:

Hear text in natural sounding voices
Adjust speed of speaking
Study better by listening
Proofread your writing
Helps with reading disabilities
Reads text files, or paste in text from any source
See words highlighted as spoken
More!
http://www.ablereader.com/

Posted by Cyndi

PowerBoost

2006-12-06T12:40:00.000-06:00

PowerBoost
multi-party video from any Mac

PowerBoost is an add-on for iChat AV 3 that makes multi-party conferences possible from any Mac. Visit the site and download your free demo!!

http://www.ecamm.com/mac/powerboost/

Righting A Wrong: VisualHub Is A Good Buy

2006-11-28T14:10:00.000-06:00

For those who are looking for converting video to iPod format. Would be just the thing for those who are iPodU beta testers...if they could just post their own stuff!

http://www.mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/righting_a_wrong_visualhub_is_a_good_buy/

Tablet Mac incoming!

2006-11-28T11:18:00.000-06:00

Tablet Mac incoming!

Apple’s prepped an ultra-smart tablet Mac, and it’ll be here in just over six months. The ultimate portable mac, and a remote for your house?...

At least two Taiwanese manufacturers are now vying for the production rights to Apple’s latest product, after the Mac maker put the finishing touches to a working prototype for its much-anticipated tablet computer.

Manufacturers Quanta and Hon Hai Precision Industry are both bidding for the new device, and have both signed confidentiality agreements over the existence of a tablet Mac.

That’s according to rumour hungry home interest websites, who say the product is now on track for a mid-2007 release.

According to the latest claims, the tablet can act as the ultimate home remote , as well as a fully functional tablet computer.

In addition to controlling iTV and other Apple products, the tablet Mac has been designed to control third party devices too. That explains Apple’s remote control patents, and its recent obsession with touch screens.

As well as handling home entertainment, the new device could also master automated lighting and security systems, including video feeds from household security cameras.

According to the Apple fans over at Smarthouse, the tablet also has applications outside the home. Presentations can be delivered using the tablet to provide source material to the presenter which differs to that on the big screen, a function already supported in Apple’s own Keynote software.

Built around Intel processors, the tablet will reportedly ship with a dedicated docking station, funnelling a signal to HDMI-enabled screens.

What’s more, we understand the docking station packs memory of its own, as well as wireless capability, so content from the tablet or other computers in the house can be sent to the big screen. If that doesn’t sound like iTV, we don’t know what does, and it would explain what plugs in to its mysterious USB socket.

Fingers crossed for more info when iTV hits the stage at Macworld 2007. Will Hon Hai Precision Industry have begun production by then? Its subsidiary Foxconn has already scooped the contract for 12 million iPhones, is the Mac tablet next?

A few great Podcasts for Mac folks

2006-11-27T09:42:00.000-06:00

iTunes > Music Store >Podcasts

Look for the following:

Ask the Techies
by D. Lee Beard
Each week we put up new podcasts explaining the latest in cool technology from Photoshop to iPods. We specialize in multimedia and although we use Macs mostly, we do deal with windows PC issues as well.

MacCast (enhanced) For Mac Geeks, by Mac Geeks
by Adam Christianson
The enhanced AAC edition of the show for Mac Geeks by Mac Geeks. We cover everything Macintosh. Keep up to date on the latest Mac news, topics and rumors. Throw in a good dose of helpful tips and listener questions and feedback and you have MacCast. Enjoy!

ScreenCastOnline: Free Mac Video Tutorials
Video Tutorials for Mac, PC and iPod
A free video podcast which publishes weekly video tutorials demonstrating how to get the most from your Mac and the Internet.

Apple Mac Tablet PC With Docking Station In 07

2006-11-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

Apple Mac Tablet PC With Docking Station In 07

David Richards - Monday, 27 November 2006

Apple researchers have built a full working prototype of a Mac tablet PC and three Companies in Taiwan are now costing a product for a potential launch in mid 2007.

Sources in Taiwan have said that the focus has been more on the home and the education environment than the enterprise marketplace. Several months ago I was told that Apple was exploring a neat new device that is basically a touch screen that links to various source devices including a brand new media centre that Apple is planning to launch next year.

The Mac tablet has been designed to handle third party applications such as home automation software that will allow users to control lighting, audio, entertainment devices and security feeds. It also acts as a full blown PC has wireless linking for a new generation of Wireless Hi Fi speakers that are currently being tested by Apple.

One set of speakers which are similar in size to the small Bose speakers have been developed by an Australian Company.

Also taken into consideration was the use of the device in educational environments where presenters often want to walk around while having access to source material being presented to a screen or auditorium speakers.

The new MAC tablet has Intel processors as well as a docking station that allows the device to link to screens with HDMI input. The docking station also has additional memo0ry capability so that users can stream content to either the tablet PC or the docking station or directly to a media centre if one is being used.

During the past year Apple has lodged several touch screen patents. They have also lodged patents for wireless devices. However three patents according to sources have been lodged by third part Companies who are licensing technology to Apple.

During the last two weeks, Apple's stock price has soared to record highs, as investors bet on the success of the new iPhone which will be launched early in 2007.

On November 16, the US Patent & Trademark Office published Apple's patent application titled ‘mechanical overlay' which was originally filed in May 2005. Apple's patent relates generally to overlays for touch sensing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to mechanical overlays that include one or more mechanical actuators that provide touch inputs to the touch sensing devices. This powerful patent provides several great examples of mechanical touch screen overlays which could be used with a future iPod, cell phone, PDA, remote control or gaming device. Furthermore, the patent provides us with a unique glimpse into how touch screens will eventually replace traditional MacBook keyboards in addition to providing users with the ability to transform the new keyboard-GUI into being a piano keyboard amongst other applications.

Quanta and Hon Hai Precision Industry are Taiwanese Companies that make notebooks and other devices for Apple. Both have signed confidentiality agreements with Apple for the Tablet Mac.

Posted by Cyndi but provided by Jack

The Mac OS X Keychain

2006-11-15T15:07:00.000-06:00

This week we have a high-quality excerpt from the new ebook, "Take
Control of Passwords in OS X," written by Joe Kissell. The blurb
reads "If you've ever found yourself confused by all the passwords
your Mac asks you for, or anxious about your level of password
security, you should read this book." So, without further ado, read
away!

The Mac OS X Keychain
by Joe Kissell

[Excerpted from "Take Control of Passwords in OS X]

Since the days of Mac OS 9, Apple has provided a systemwide
repository for each user (identified by Mac OS user name), in which
all of that person's user names and their associated passwords are
stored; this repository is called a keychain. The idea is that
instead of having to remember (and manually enter) dozens or hundreds
of user names and passwords individually, you let the keychain
remember (and enter) them for you. The keychain itself is encrypted
and protected by a password. By entering just that one password, you
unlock all the passwords inside the keychain; the system then hands
them to applications, network servers, or other resources as
necessary. Not all applications that use passwords are designed to
support the keychain, but most do.

(Although I use the word keychain in the singular - as does Mac OS X
in most cases - you can have more than one keychain. I discuss the
variety of keychains, and issues involving the use of multiple
keychains, in the full ebook.)

Whenever someone creates a user account, Mac OS X creates a keychain
named "login" for that account. (In some earlier versions of Mac OS
X, this keychain was given a name matching the user's short name -
for example, johnsmith. If you had such a keychain in the past and
either updated Mac OS X or copied your user data from one machine to
another, your current keychain may still have that name.) Normally,
this is your default keychain, and the only one you'll interact with
regularly.

Here's an example of how a keychain can work: Suppose you have two
Macs networked together, and one of them has Personal File Sharing
turned on. When you go to the other Mac, you click the Network icon
in your Finder's sidebar and the first Mac appears in the list. You
select its icon and click Connect. An authentication dialog appears.
After selecting Registered User and entering a valid user name and
password for the computer to which you're connecting, you select
Remember Password in Keychain and click Connect.

Behind the scenes, Mac OS X makes a new keychain entry containing the
address of the Mac you're connecting to and the user name and
password you need to connect to that Mac. Assuming your keychain is
unlocked, the next time the authentication dialog appears for this
server, it's already filled in; you need only click Connect. (Had you
not selected Remember Password in Keychain earlier, you would have
been presented with blank Name and Password fields to fill in manually.)

By default, your keychain password is the same as your login
password. Upon login, if your keychain is named "login" (or has the
same name as your user name) and your login password is the same as
your keychain password, your keychain is unlocked automatically. Of
course, by default, Mac OS X also logs you in automatically when you
turn on your computer. In other words, unless you change those
default settings, your keychain is unlocked every time you turn on
your computer - not a terribly secure situation! Therefore, unless
you use your computer only in a setting where other people can't
physically access it, I recommend changing your keychain password so
that it's different from your login password and turning off
automatic login.

Note that your keychain interacts with most parts of Mac OS X, but
since you can't access it until you've logged in, it can't
automatically fill in your login password or firmware password. You
can enter those passwords in your keychain manually if you want to,
simply to have a secure place to keep them.

**Choose and Set a Keychain Password** -- Because your keychain
protects all your other passwords, your keychain password should be
the strongest one you have - in other words, at least as strong as
any other password in the keychain. If your keychain password is less
secure than it should be, you can change it in either of two ways:

* Change your login password. If your keychain password is identical
to your login password, changing your login password also changes
your keychain password to match.

* Change your keychain password independently.

**Use Your Keychain Password** -- Mac OS X adds user names and
passwords to your default keychain every time you enter them when the
Remember Password in Keychain checkbox is selected. You can also add
them manually.

At login, Mac OS X tries to unlock your default keychain. If you've
created other keychains and the default keychain is not "login" (or
the one matching your user name), a prompt appears asking for the
default keychain's password.

Even if your keychain unlocks automatically at login (because its
password is the same as your login password), you can still lock or
unlock it manually at any time, in either of the following ways:

* If the Keychain ( ) menu appears in your menu bar, choose Lock
Keychain "keychain-name" (or Lock All Keychains) from that menu to
lock it; choose Unlock Keychain "keychain-name" to unlock it. If this
menu does not appear in your menu bar, you can add it.

* Open Keychain Access (in /Applications/Utilities). If the Keychains
list is not showing on the upper left in the window, click the Show
Keychains button at the bottom left. Select your keychain in this
list; then choose File > Lock Keychain "keychain-name".

You can also set a keychain to lock automatically after a given
period of inactivity, when your computer goes to sleep, or both. In
either case, Mac OS X prompts you to unlock the keychain the next
time it's required to access some resource.

Most of your interaction with your keychain will involve locking or
unlocking it, and agreeing (or not) to have various passwords stored
there. However, you can do a great deal more with your keychain using
the Keychain Access utility, which I cover in the full ebook in detail.

Purchase the entire "Take Control of Passwords in OS X" ebook here:

http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/passwords-macosx.html

See all Take Control ebooks here:

http://www.smalldog.com/takecontrol.html

Remember, when you buy a Take Control ebook from Take Control, you
will get a $5.00 coupon good for any purchase from Small Dog
Electronics!

Posted by Cyndi

Apple Reports Preliminary Fourth Quarter Results

2006-11-01T10:29:00.000-06:00

Apple announced preliminary fourth quarter financial results, with revenue of $4.84 billion and a net profit of $546 million, or $.62 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $3.68 billion and a net profit of $430 million, or $.50 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 29.2%, up from 28.1% a year ago. International sales accounted for 40% of revenue. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/oct/18results.html
posted by Cyndi

Wall Street Journal: Boss Puts iPod to Work

2006-11-01T10:25:00.000-06:00

“People used to hide their iPods from their bosses, if they used them in the office at all,” writes Anjali Athavaley for the Wall Street Journal. “Now the bosses are passing them out to their employees. Companies from health-care suppliers to fast-food chains are handing out free iPods so that employees can download audio and video files of CEO announcements, training courses and sales seminars.” To read complete articel go to:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116173887200102825-u6E2elCR8OOVB6LUsdyY_0RdTvs_20061101.html?mod=blogs

From EPS to PDF in No Time Flat

2006-11-01T10:23:00.000-06:00

Handy Tip : From EPS to PDF in No Time Flat
This trick is pretty much just for graphic designers who work with EPS images from applications like Adobe illustrator, Coreldraw for Mac, Freehand, and Photoshop. If you want to convert your EPS image instantly into a PDF (ideal for emailing), just drag it onto Apple’s Preview application icon in your dock (or in your Applications folder) and Mac OS X automatically converts your Postscript file to a PDF on the fly. When you choose save from the File menu, it will save as a PDF.
http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/epstopdf.html

Posted by Cyndi

Interesting Article: Perfecting a Life Saving Blood Pump

2006-11-01T10:22:00.000-06:00

Perfecting a Life-Saving Blood Pump
With the help of Apple technology, Professor Marek Behr and his team at RWTH Aachen University have helped improve a four-ounce pump to help prolong the lives of tranplant patients waiting for a heart. http://www.apple.com/science/profiles/aachen/

How to Create a Digital Signature

2006-11-01T10:13:00.000-06:00

I found this little tip in my Wacom Tablet newsletter (http://wacom.com/index2.cfm). But I discover you can create a digital signature the same way even if you don't have a tablet, you just have to be skilled with the mouse and pen tool in photoshop. I happen to have a Wacom Tablet, so if you really want to do this it using the table, give me a call and you can use mine!!

Digital Signatures by Matt Kloskowski
“It’s really easy to create your signature with a pen tablet. Best of all, you can save it in Photoshop so you don’t have to keep redoing it. In Photoshop, just select the Brush Tool and choose a small hard-edged (the kind without the faded edges) brush from the Brush Picker in the top Options Bar. Then write your signature with the Wacom pen on a white layer just as you normally would. Once you have it the way you like, select the Rectangular Marquee Tool from the toolbox and drag a selection around the entire signature. Go to the Edit menu and go down to Define Brush Preset. Give your brush a descriptive name, press OK and you’re ready to go. That’s it! Now your signature is saved as a custom brush in the Brushes palette ready to use whenever you want.”

posted by Cyndi

A cool Web Browser Widget

2006-11-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

Art's Widget of the Week

This OS X Tiger Dashboard Widget is by Dave Pedu and is called
WidgetBrowse.

It is simply a web browsing tool, for use within the Dashboard.

Here is a link to this straightforward web browsing widget tool;

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/networking_security/
widgetbrowse.html

Enjoy!
Posted by Cyndi

What is a Kernel Panic?

2006-11-01T10:06:00.000-06:00

Hopefully you have never experienced a Kernel Panic, but if you do...

What is a kernel panic:

A kernel panic is an error that occurs you guessed it, in the kernel
of the system. For those not familiar with UNIX based operating
system the kernel is the core of the system and such errors tend to
be rather severe and will interrupt that game of solitaire that you
were playing. When an unexpected instruction to the processor is
received it sends you a message in a black (or grey) box telling you
to restart your computer. It also includes other languages just to
keep you in practice with the german you learned in grade 12. Some
times it gives you strings of white text with a black background
across the top of your screen.

What to do when you get one:

Unlike the name, you should not be the one panicking. Whenever a
kernel panic happens it generates a log that includes the error
message to help in diagnosing the problem. It is called Panic.log
and is found in /library/logs/ The one real benefit of this log is
it date stamps every time it happens so you can see the frequency of
it. Frequent kernel panics is a sign of a hardware issue that should
be resolved. I have had a random kernel panic in my processing of
ipods but not every kernel panic is a sign of the apocalypse as there
are many causes for a kernel panic. Simply restart and see if it
happens again.

How can you fix a kernel panic:

As I mentioned there is many causes for that pesky black box of death
(System crashes: Not just for Windows anymore). The most common (and
easiest to fix) is caused by bad ram. One of the first steps in
isolating the problem is to take out any 3rd party ram and swap for
good ram. Also, disconnect peripherals such as that used ipod you
bought on ebay. A kernel panic at startup could be a sign that there
are bad sectors on your hard drive. If the system can boot off a CD
or an external drive you isolated it to the hard drive. If ram,
peripherals, and the hard drive are all ruled out the logic board is
the culprit and that is a pesky repair in your future.

Thanks to Todd@smalldog.com for this information
Posted by Cyndi

Are you sick of the same old PowerPoint and Keynote Backgrounds and Templates?

2006-10-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

Are you sick of the same old PowerPoint and Keynote Backgrounds and Templates?

Well I was and I don't even use them a ton. I stumbled on to
for Keynote� and PowerPoint? (Only 39.99). It's time to wake up your audience!

Create a captivating message using powerful new PowerPoint� or Keynote� templates and backgrounds that add stylistic appeal to your outdated slides. Unique progressive backgrounds visually outline any presentation, leading your audience through the message in a dazzling time-lapsed slide progression.

Choose from over 600 included backgrounds, or 100 full slide templates already formatted with fonts, text and image layouts.

http://www.macxware.com/candypress/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=63

Lots of other cool products, found a great screen capture Progam too called MacCapture. Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Google & Apple Sitting In A Tree...

2006-10-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

Google & Apple Sitting In A Tree...
By Ed@Smalldog.com

Google and Apple are getting awfully cozy these days. A few years
ago, Google's support for Macs and OS X was rather paltry. As Mac
users complained about this, Google added a few Apple-friendly
features. For example, you could go to google.com/mac.html to
constrain your search results to Mac sites - useful for finding
arcane Mac info. However, many of Google's services and software,
like Google Earth simply didn't work on a Mac. This despite the fact
that a huge number of Google employees reportedly use Macs every day
on the job.

In the past year, Google and Apple have moved much closer together.
Dr. Eric Schmidt, Google's influential CEO, joined Apple's board of
directors in August. He said "Apple is one of the companies in the
world that I most admire."

Google has expanded the google.com/mac.html site with six
downloadable software apps - including the powerful Google Earth and
SketchUp (we used SketchUp for the layout of our new retail store.)

Google's free web-based productivity apps, Docs & Spreadsheets work
well on a Mac, as long you're using Firefox, Camino or Mozzilla (but
not Safari.) Calendar, Gmail, and Google video all work well with
Safari, but Google Talk and Page Creator do not (again, you need
Firefox, Camino or Mozzilla.) At Small Dog, we use Google Analytics
and Adwords extensively.

Now Google is keeping an official Mac-centric blog, which you can see
here:

http://googlemac.blogspot.com

Google's Mac blog reads:

We want to provide great products and services to the tens of millions of Mac users around the world, because it's the right thing to do, and because Mac users inside and outside Google demand it. That's why we've recruited some of the
best, most passionate Mac people out there for a Mac Engineering team

There are also hints of much deeper future collaboration. iPhoto 6
appears to have code that could allow for geotagging via Google Maps.
Google and Apple are rumored to be working on making Google Video
available via iTV. That could be great for Apple and iTV users,
especially now that Google has purchased YouTube.

Both Apple and Google operate as innovative, entrepreneurial
companies. It's great for Apple to have such a powerful ally. And
it's great for Google to have a creative, differently thinking partner.

Easy Maintenance - Clear that Desktop!

2006-10-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

Easy Maintenance - Clear that Desktop!
By Ed@Smalldog.com

Did you know that having many folders, images, old installers, and
other files on your OS X desktop can cramp your Mac’s performance,
including start-up time? This is because Desktop images are treated
like dynamic windows, rather than static images.

Ideally, the OS X Desktop should only be used for temporary, short
term storage. It’s best to keep all your files stored in their proper
locations, as much a possible – documents in the Documents folder,
photos and images in iPhoto or the Pictures folder, etc.

You can keep a junk folder in your Home Directory, or Documents
folder, where you simply stash everything. You can drag that junk
folder into your Dock, where it is always easily accessible.

There are a number of freeware and shareware apps to help you keep a
clean desktop – Tinker Tools (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13662) and sterCleanDesk (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/16481) are examples.

Now, go clean your room!

Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

ThinkMac: Great Site and Podcast too!!!

2006-09-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

Mac users: ThinkMac.net: smarter, happier and better looking!!
http://www.thinkmac.net/blog/

Podcast

Check this out, both the website and the Podcast in iTunes!! Quick tips to enhance the user experience of Mac OSX TIger! Providing Tips to new Mac users and Mac Geeks around the World.

Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Save Internet Freedom, Support Net Neutrality

2006-09-09T14:41:00.000-05:00

Save Internet Freedom, Support Net Neutrality
By Don@Smalldog.com

I was recently a speaker at a press conference in support of net
neutrality. We joined a coalition of groups to lobby Vermont Senator
Jeffords to actively support net neutrality in the telecommunications
bill coming up to the Senate this month. The senator came out in
favor of net neutrality last night, and we presented him with
petitions and held the press conference to encourage his support.
Vermont’s other Senator, Patrick Leahy, has been a net neutrality
supporter from the beginning. This is one of the few times that I
stood up with the ACLU, Vermont Public Interest Group, and groups
such as the Christian Coalition and the National Gun Owners
association to talk about a public policy issue. This is a vitally
important issue that you should be aware of and talk about with your
senators, too. More information is available at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/

The current telecommunications bill does not have protection for the
concept of net neutrality included in the legislation. At the urging
of a handful of telecommunications companies — namely, Verizon,
Comcast, Bell South, and AT&T — the legislation would allow these
very same internet "gatekeepers" to charge different rates for
different levels of access to the net. This would mean that the
larger companies could and would pay for faster page-loads and
preferred access while smaller companies, bloggers, and others may be
left with slow access or no access. The internet has been the most
free common ground for communications in the history of humanity. A
small company in the middle of nowhere with some good web-design
skills can look as good and provide the same goods and services as a
company that is much larger. With a tiered internet, that new
entrepreneur might be locked out of her new venture because she
cannot afford the extra fees for the higher level of access.

The impact upon bloggers, news sites, and a free press is even more
troublesome. An aggressive ISP might price these grassroots
newsgroups and bloggers out of the market or even make it so their
pages load so slowly that they are unusable. The only ones advocating
for overturning the status quo of a free, neutral net are those same
large telecommunications companies that want to make more money and
exercise more control over the content on the net. Some of the very
companies that could afford to pay these higher fees to gain faster
access are the most vociferous supporters of net neutrality.
Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google could easily pay to be
in the upper tier but have been very vocal and active in supporting a
free internet. They do not see any benefit to allowing Comcast,
Verizon, and Bell South to control internet content or speed.

Small Dog Electronics was born on the internet. The company was a
gleam in my eye and operated out of my living room and garage for the
first year of operation. We never would have had the success we have
achieved from the boonies in the Green Mountains without net
neutrality. It is a concept that is near and dear to us and one that
we will continue to support with our public voice and our votes.

How do you feel about net neutrality? Share your opinion at the Small
Dog Soapbox:

http://www.smalldog.com/PHPbb/viewforum.php?f=1

Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Make Multiple iPhoto Libraries and iPohot File Structure

2006-09-09T14:37:00.000-05:00

Make Multiple iPhoto Libraries or Make an iPhoto Library on an
External Hard Drive
By Ed@Smalldog.com

With iPhoto 5 and 6, it's very easy to create and maintain multiple
iPhoto libraries. You might do this to keep separate personal and
business iPhoto libraries, or to keep one iPhoto library installed on
your computer's hard drive and a separate iPhoto library installed on
an external drive.

To create a new iPhoto 5 or 6 library, click on the orange iPhoto
icon and then quickly hold down the Option key. You will be prompted
to choose an iPhoto library or to create a new library. If you create
a new library and you want to switch back to the old iPhoto library,
simply hold down the Option key again when launching iPhoto.

You can also download a great shareware program called iPhoto buddy
to manage multiple iPhoto libraries. iPhoto buddy makes it very easy
to do this. You can read about it and download it here:

http://www.iphotobuddy.com/

On the iPhoto File Structure

I could condense all my iPhoto wisdom in one sentence: for your own
benefit, please never, ever open the iPhoto folder library folder and
move files around. That's it. This is because iPhoto has to maintain
a very strict inventory of its data. The data structure is explained
here:

http://www.iphotolibrarymanager.com/Documentation/iPLM/pgs/
libraryfolder.html

There really is no reason for the vast majority of users to ever open
their iPhoto library folder. That includes me!

Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Are you a Star Trek: New Voyages Fan?

2006-09-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

A G5 for the 24th Century!
By Ed@Smalldog.com

A couple of weeks ago, Don Mayer received an email with the
intriguing subject, "A G5 for the 24th Century?" The email was from
Charles Root of Retro Film Studios, best known for their highly
regarded and hugely popular web-based series Star Trek: New Voyages.

If you are a Star Trek fan or simply a fan of great web-based movies,
you've probably heard of New Voyages. For everyone else, New Voyages
is a highly regarded, broadcast-quality, fan-created series set in
the Star Trek universe, focusing on the fourth year of the Starship
Enterprise's five-year mission. It is distributed on the web for
free. Episodes produced so far include the pilot, "Come What May,"
followed by "In Harm's Way." "To Serve All My Days" will be released
on September 8, 2006, at the Star Trek 40th Anniversary Gala
Celebration & Conference. Two more episodes are in preproduction:
"All The World and Time" and "The World Above, The Sky Below."

According the the New Voyages website, the idea of the series
originated with James Cawley. He had already assembled a large
collection of Star Trek set pieces and props, and had even built an
extremely impressive set based on the original Starship Enterprise
bridge. He had an idea to make a fan film, and with input from
director Jack Marshall, the series was set to launch.

New Voyages has attracted great interest from Star Trek alumni. "In
Harm's Way" featured Eugene Roddenberry, Jr. as a consulting
producer. The excellent special effects are handled by Max Rem, who
also worked on the Enterprise television series. Several writers from
various Trek series have pitched in as writers and even actors. The
next episode, "To Serve All My Days," was written by D.C. Fontana.
Indeed, "To Serve All My Days" will feature Walter Koenig in his
famous original role of Pavel Chekov — truly amazing for a web-based
series. George Takei will return as Sulu in the next episode, set to
begin shooting in September.

The New Voyages website proudly declares "STAR TREK LIVES!" Some of
the actors may only vaguely resemble the original cast, but the sets,
music, costumes and uniforms, and alien makeup seem as if they were
beamed from the late 1960s to the present day. It feels like a bona
fide, CBS-produced Star Trek TV series. Indeed, most of the effects
(especially space and ship scenes) are superior to the effects in the
original series.

New Voyages has the pioneering spirit of the original Star Trek
series. In real life, New Voyages is comprised of a diverse crew
working toward a combined goal. Charles Root, who sent the original
email to Small Dog, plays Mr. Scott. The other recurring cast
includes James Cawley as Captain Kirk, Jeff Quinn as Mr. Spock, John
Kelly as Doctor Leonard McCoy, Andy Bray as Lt. Pavel Chekov, John
Lim as Lt. Cmdr. Hikaru Sulu, Julienne Irons as Lt. Nyota Uhura, Ron
Boyd as Lt. Vincent Desalle, Shannon Giles as Nurse Christine Chapel,
and Katrina Kernodle as Yeoman Janice Rand. James Lowe, who is a Co-
Producer/Art Director and Website Co-Administrator (and also plays an
alien Federation Ambassador) wrote in with links to some pictures
(all photos are property of Star Trek New Voyages):

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/files/j-lo/sfm/album/

Effects and editing for New Voyages happen on of a variety of
computers and in a variety of software packages. Previous episodes
were cut on Adobe Premiere, with ship animation created in Lightwave.
Other post effects were added with Adobe After Effects. Some
rotoscoping and additional visual effects were done in Combustion.
Apple's Motion program might be used for some of this in the future.

Previously, some editing was done on a G3, which simply could not
keep up with production. Small Dog Electronics loaned New Voyages a
2.3 GHz Power Mac G5 to finish the current episode, "To Serve All My
Days," with Walter Koenig, which premiers September 8 at the Star
Trek: 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration & Conference at the Science
Fiction Museum in Seattle.

It is important to remember that the creators, cast, and crew of New
Voyages do not profit from its production. The best way to donate is
through gift cards from the retailers they buy supplies from. You can
also contact them with other ideas.

Successful, incredibly popular productions blending professional
knowhow, digital "prosumer" equipment, and amateur enthusiasm are
uprooting the traditional movie creation and distribution model. If
you want to see the future of media on the internet, visit New
Voyages here:

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/1024/home.php
Posted by Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Your Windows Applications, Seamlessly Integrated on Mac OS X

2006-09-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

Codeweavers Releases Beta of Crossover Mac
By Don@Smalldog.com

You have heard of Parallels and Boot Camp but Codeweavers solution for Windows applications is even neater. Basically CrossOver Mac will allow you to run COMPATIBLE Windows applications without having to own Windows! There are now over 2000 Windows applications that will simply just run in OS X. You'll need an Intel-based Mac and 120 MB of free hard drive space but this is an exciting development that might be the answer for many of us that only occasionally want to run a Windows app. CrossOver Mac allows you to install your favorite Windows applications and games on Mac OS X. CrossOver includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing Windows software simple and fast. Once installed, your application integrates seamlessly in OS X. Just click and run your application directly from
the OS X Finder. Clicking a Windows file or document - including email attachments - will launch the appropriate Windows program, allowing you to work on the files. Best of all you do it without needing a Microsoft operating system license.

This product will be about $60 when it is released but you can download the beta now and check out the long list of compatible applications. I do not own many Windows applications so I'd appreciate a first-hand review from any of you that do and I'll include it in our next issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/

If you are lucky enough to have one of the new Intel Mac, you can even download a FREE Beta version right now and give it a try. Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

Apple battery recall

2006-08-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

I'm enclosing what I believe is the latest info regarding the battery recall (info from Small Dog's latest newsletter). If your's is one of the affected ones, you can follow the links directly or give me a call and I can help. It sounds as if it should be taken care of asap.

Battery Exchange Program iBook G4 and PowerBook G4

Apple has determined that certain lithium-ion batteries containing
cells manufactured by Sony Corporation of Japan pose a safety risk
that may result in overheating under rare circumstances.

The affected batteries were sold worldwide from October 2003 through
August 2006 for use with the following notebook computers: 12-inch
iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. Also, if you
participated in a previous battery recall for any of these computer
models or recently purchased or received from Apple an extra battery
for an iBook G3, please check your battery serial number in case you
received a replacement battery that is affected by this program.

To view the model and serial numbers labeled on the bottom of the
battery, you must remove the battery from the computer. The battery
serial number is printed in black or dark grey lettering beneath a
barcode on the battery.

Affected models include:

iBook G4 batteries with the battery model number A1061 and the
battery serial number range:

ZZ338 – ZZ427
3K429 – 3K611
6C519 – 6C552 ending with S9WA, S9WC or S9WD

12-inch PowerBook G4 with the battery model number A1079 and the
battery serial number range:

ZZ411 – ZZ427
3K428 – 3K611

15-inch PowerBook G4 with the battery model number A1078 and A1148,
and the battery serial number range:

3K425 – 3K601
6N530 – 6N551 ending with THTA, THTB, or THTC
6N601 ending with THTC

You need to fill out a battery exchange form online:

https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batteryexchange/

Apple recommends removing the affected battery, and running your
laptop strictly on AC power. You can use your computer without the
battery in it when the computer is plugged into AC power. Simply
remove the battery and plug in the AC adapter to power the computer
until a replacement battery arrives.

There is an earlier recall of batteries for the 12-inch PowerBook G4,
15-inch PowerBook G4, and 12-inch iBook G4 that is also happening.
These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.

The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard to
consumers. Apple has received six consumer reports of these batteries
overheating. If you have a recalled battery, please stop using it and
order a replacement battery immediately. Once you have removed the
battery, plug in the AC adapter to power the computer. If you must
temporarily use your computer with the battery, do not leave it
unattended and check for signs of overheating.

The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078,
and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 and
3X446 through 3X510. If you have recently purchased an extra or
replacement battery for any of the computer models noted above or a
12-inch iBook G3, please check the battery’s serial number to see if
it needs to be exchanged.

Welcome FHSU MAC Users

2006-08-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

This is a place to share ideas, resources, "aahs," cool stuff about Macs. Feel free to ask questions, share ideas and discoveries about anything related to Macs, using laptops, mobile technology, technology, podcasting, software, etc. Let's help each other out. Just post using the login and password information in the email and don't forget to include your name at the end so we know who posted the information. Visit often and spread the word on campus. Cyndi Danner-Kuhn

http://www.apple.com/getamac/

Did you Know?
FHSU now has its own Apple STore online. Here is the link.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/routingpage.html

If You Want to Podcast, Try this!!!

2006-08-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

ProfCast is the ideal tool for recording and publishing your live Keynote or PowerPoint presentation. All elements of your presentation, including slide timing and voice narration, are recorded. You can then publish your complete presentation on the Web as a Podcast, complete with RSS support. And it is only $29.95. Jack Jackson

Great Place to Buy Stuff & SUPER Newsletter

2006-08-27T14:59:00.000-05:00

Small Dog Electronics is a great online store for Macs and everything Mac. My favorite part is their newsletter(s) subscription. Each week, it is a wealth of useful information, helpful hints, resources, etc. It is actually the one newsletter that I receive in email that I always read. You find the newslettter subscription on the lower right. Subscribe & Archives
Cyndi Danner-Kuhn