Shaniac-i-Mac

Apple Store's Customer Service A-Okay

2012-01-14T19:46:00.001-06:00

Although I occasionally rant on here about some of Apple's inexplicable actions, you can see that I don't give up on Apple or their products. Quite frankly, they're second to none, even with the occasional tendency of Apple to avoid admitting fault at all costs. Well, I'm going to sing their praises right now.

My shiny, new iPhone 4S developed a short or glitch in the audio output of the Dock Connector. Everything else would work--charging, data. Just garbled or mono audio. So I made an appointment at the MacArthur Center Apple Store in Norfolk, VA. They were prompt, helpful, and friendly. Above all, they immediately REPLACED my iPhone with a brand new one at zero cost. Problem solved. So, in some respects, their customer service is second to none, especially at the local level. Way to go Apple. Thanks for taking care of me!

iPhoto No Longer Recognizing iPhone?

2011-10-23T19:47:00.001-05:00

If you moved to iOS 5 on your iPhone and downloaded the latest version of iPhoto (that allows for Photo Stream using iCloud), you may have noticed that your iPhone is no longer recognized by iPhoto when you physically plug it into a Mac running Lion. iOS 5 brought all sorts of new features, including WiFi sync and automatic download of your phone's new photos over the last 30 days using Photo Stream (part of iCloud). But with that power comes the inevitable hiccups.

These new features and conveniences can create a problem if you had old photos hanging around on your iPhone that hadn't been transferred to iPhoto.

You might think, "Big deal, I'll just use the wang-bang new iCloud to transfer my old photos." Nope. Only new ones. What I did to fix this was to follow some of the information in the troubleshooting link below. The primary fix for me was unplugging and replugging the docking station from my Mac Pro. That seemed to fix it and now my iPhone is recognized by iPhoto, even with Photo Stream and WiFi syncing enabled. Time will tell, but always open up Image Capture to see if your computer is recognizing your iPhone's physical connection (via USB).

Try using the photo-management software built in to your computer's operating system:

Mac OS X: Open Image Capture (located in the Applications folder).
[From iOS: Unable to import photos or device not recognized as a camera]

Lion-to-Lion File Sharing Troubles: Fix!

2011-10-19T19:24:00.001-05:00

After upgrading our machines at home to Lion, I discovered that AFP file sharing no longer functioned. I would get various errors when trying to connect from one machine to another. The errors were things like "too many users connected." Well, after much research (apparently there are many problems with Lion's implementation of AFP and SMB), I found that deleting the preference file referenced below and rebooting fixed my file sharing issues.

I had what seems to be the same problem, and I think I solved it: In /Library/Preferences/com.apple.AppleFileServer.plist there were two keys, maxConnections and maxGuests, that were set to 0. Looked like this:

maxConnections 0
maxGuests 0

I changed the values to 10, and it seems to be working now.

[From Unable to share files with other Macs...: Apple Support Communities]

OS X Lion: Syncing Contacts with iPhone

2011-08-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

I guess you're thinking that this will be another commentary on OS X Lion's really ugly, new Address Book interface (along the lines of Lion's equally ugly, new iCal interface). No, it won't be that, although I am among those who don't like the change to the faux leather look (a GUI design idea that went stale about 10 years ago).

I'm talking about the Address Book's internal changes that costed me HOURS of work to get things functioning normally again…specifically, syncing information to my iPhone.

Here's the story: I thought I would be smart about my Lion upgrade. First, I waited until version 10.7.1 to go for it. Then, I ordered a brand new 1TB hard drive to install in my Mac Pro. I used Onyx to really clean up my Snow Leopard install, and then I proceeded to use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my SL drive to the new 1 TB drive. Now I was ready to upgrade that new drive to Lion, keeping my original SL drive as a backup. Smart, huh? But Apple would get the last laugh.

I upgraded as described and everything seemed great! I love Lion's new zippiness and several of the features (though Launchpad is fairly useless for me). Then, I plugged my iPhone 3GS into the dock and synced normally with iTunes. A first glance and everything seemed fine. Wrong! I received a text message from my wife and noticed that it had her number listed instead of her name. What was this? I looked through my Contacts on the iPhone and noticed that NO CONTACTS HAD PHONE NUMBERS!!! All the other information was there: addresses, emails, notes. Just not the most important bit needed in a phone--the damn phone numbers!!!! A glance through the Address Book on the Mac showed that all the phone numbers were still there. They just wouldn't sync.

I tried all the usual troubleshooting stuff, to no avail. Realizing that my issue had something to do with syncing, I followed Apple's own guidance for advanced syncing issues. All of these steps did not help, initially, because they failed to take into account the iPhone itself. I also tried iTunes and replacing all the contacts on the iPhone, which also did not fix the issue…still no numbers. I even posted on Apple's community web site for help and got no takers. So, I went back to Apple's advanced syncing troubleshooting article and went about it from a different angle. As I touched on earlier, they never really brought the phone into the discussion much, other than saying sync normally after the troubleshooting steps.

Thinking I had an epiphany, I toyed with Address Book preferences--specifically the phone number format (which is a bit buggy at the moment); that was also ineffective. So, I decided to backup my Address Book into an archive, copy a vCard for all my contacts and groups, and then delete everything to do with Address Book from my Mac except the application--just as the article describes (remove caches, Application Support folder, and preferences). The difference is that--after doing all those steps--I also synced the phone and made sure that all my contacts were deleted from the Contacts app. I now had a virgin Address Book and a virgin Contacts app on the iPhone. From here, I reimported my contacts using the vCard into Address Book. Apple's instructions for recreating groups did NOT work; maybe it worked before Lion, but not now (this was really frustrating…trying to easily recreate groups as they described resulted in a huge amount of wasted effort, with groups that appeared reconstituted but with contacts that disappeared after restarting Address Book). So, I had to manually recreate my groups, which took HOURS (as I said). I used Quick Look to help me do this; highlighting a vCard in the Finder and pressing spacebar gives you a look at all the contacts inside each group. Then it's just a matter of searching for them in Address Book and then adding them to the recreated group. A huge waste of time!

I also need to add that I used my Address Book with Dropbox, but moving my Application Support folder back to the Library did not fix the issue either. Dropbox was not the culprit.

I imagine it's related to the coming iCloud and the changes required for syncing to that medium, but who knows. Ironic that the most important bit of information on a phone--the numbers--were omitted from the syncing process, leaving me with an essentially useless phone.

How-to: Read and Write NTFS Windows Partition on Mac OS X

2011-07-23T09:31:00.001-05:00

If you're like me (forced to use Wind-bloze at work while using all Macs at home), you may need this to transfer files back and forth using NTFS (not this f*cking sh*t) drives. Modern Macs can read pure NTFS volumes but can't write to them.

Recently Amit Singh, a Google employee, releases a implementation called MacFUSE which makes it possible to use any FUSE (File-system in USErspace) file systems in Mac. And the most useful FUSE is the NTFS-3G Read/Write Driver, which ables system to load NTFS with read and write capability. This is truly the greatest news for dual booting Mac OS X and Windows XP or Vista.
[From How-to: Read and Write NTFS Windows Partition on Mac OS X]

10.6.7 -> Trouble with AddressBookSync

2011-05-31T15:25:00.001-05:00

I'm not talking about the little applications you can download to sync up Facebook friend profile pictures with your AddressBook database. I'm talking about an app hidden in the Resources of the System Framework that's used to sync contacts between various devices, including the iPhone. Mine inexplicably went nuts recently and was crashing like crazy with every iPhone sync attempt. A Google search yielded practically nothing, so I knew I had a unique problem. I tried all the typical troubleshooting steps to no avail, including a deletion of preference files. So, here's what finally fixed it:

I used Pacifist to copy the System Framework called AddressBook onto my desktop from the 10.6.7 Combo Updater. I deleted the original in the /System/Frameworks/ folder and replaced with this one. I noticed that the AddressBookSync app was smaller in the Updater, so something obviously went wrong in the update process. After copying the new Framework into the proper location from my desktop, I repaired permissions and voila...no more crashes.

Be Smart with Smart Folders

2010-10-10T11:47:00.001-05:00

Most of us don't use OS X to its fullest potential. Here are some great tips for getting the most out of Smart Folders. I have several of these set up, including for System File searches, PDFs, and Preferences. It's kind of like a searching shortcut.

Want to keep track of all documents you have greater than 500MB in size? All your PDFs? All your OpenType fonts? Pictures taken with your Canon PowerShot within the last two weeks that have less than a specified focal length and greater than a specified exposure time? If you can set up a search for something in the Finder, you can make a smart folder for it too.
[From Smart ways to work with smart folders | Business Center | Working Mac | Macworld]

Orwellian Apple Censorship

2010-07-13T17:37:00.001-05:00

Here's my comment on the story about Apple censoring its Discussion Boards over Consumer Reports refusal to recommend the new iPhone 4 based on reception issues. Part of the reason for this blog is document my own troubleshooting efforts and problems I've had with Apple hardware and software.

Apple discussion boards have done this for years. They have devoted stormtroopers on there who will edit or delete your posts in a flat second, if they deem the posts unflattering to their products.

What’s unfortunate is that I’ve had several negative things to write in those forums, usually about hardware. My Powerbook’s lower memory slot went out and I never got it fixed because mine wasn’t in the “range of serials” that Apple deemed to be the problem; no one told my Powerbook that. My current Airport Extreme has to be reset usually once each day…again, Apple’s response to me is to make an appointment and bring it in to the Genius Bar (not sure how they are going to replicate my issue there, since it’s random). If you Google it, however, you’ll see that it’s a common problem, and people get inconsistent help (some get products replaced straightaway while others don’t).

Same sort of censoring happened when Apple decided to remove pdf manuals and hardcopy manuals from Logic Studio and replace them with the cumbersome Apple Help system. Apple finally relented and quietly brought back the pdf files after all the complaints. But they never acknowledged the complaints.

I think Apple would do well to have a revamped hardware testing division: A group of folks to test a product for six months thoroughly, before Apple releases it. They’ve always relied on users and developers to QC their software just before and right after release, but it’s a mistake to use that model on hardware. There are certain things in hardware that simply can’t be fixed after the genie is out of the bottle. I’m afraid what happens is that users end up being guinea pigs for the hardware a lot of the time; Apple simply (quietly) fixes the issues discovered in the next iteration, but the original buyers are left out in the cold.
[From Apple Censoring Discussion Forums Ref. Consumer Reports | Cult of Mac]

Airport Extreme Freezes and Connection Slowness

2010-07-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

Not even a year ago, we replaced our old Netgear Ethernet Router and old Airport Express with a nice, shiny, new Apple Airport Extreme. Lot's o' promise. The main problem (apart from other minor hiccups you'll find on here) has been that we typically have had to soft reset the unit daily, because the connection would become completely unresponsive--including Ethernet and wireless connections. So, it was either the cable modem (which worked fine with our old router) or the Airport Extreme, which judging from a Google search is giving more users than just me fits. So, I've played with all sorts of settings, including turning off IPv6 in the unit and on all the computers in the house; that didn't seem to fix anything.

However, I may have just made some changes that greatly improved my download speed while also eliminating the need to reset the AEBS each day! We'll see if my "fix" holds up. But the speed improvement is a plus.

First, I changed from "Automatic" to 100 Mbps/Full Duplex in the Airport Utility and restarted the AEBS:

Next, I changed similar settings in System Preferences->Network ("Automatic" to "Manually"):

Speeds via speedtest.net showed a dramatic improvement for download:

Then, I finally found the culprit: The automatic MTU!!
I couldn't believe it. Such a stupid, basic cause of such a big problem. This is most certainly a BUG.

To fix the MTU:

1. Apple Menu > System Preferences... then Network.

2. On the left, choose Ethernet , then Advanced... on the bottom.

3. Choose Ethernet tab:
. . . Configure: Change from Automatically to MANUALLY.
. . . MTU: Change from Standard to CUSTOM. Put 1452 then click OK. Then Apply at the bottom.
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - A fix for random, slow, intermittent ...]

1Password Slow Safari Starts and Command Key Sluggishness

2010-07-03T17:28:00.000-05:00

I've had these issues for sometime now. Turns out that I may have discovered something crucial about the problems. Rebuilding the datafile, clearing the cache, and removing all InputManagers did not fix the issues, which were reproducible on two Macs. Removing the Internet plugins also did not resolve the issues.

If Safari is starting slow for you under Snow Leopard and you use 1Password 3, make certain that you remove the old InputManager called something like "1Passwd." I was able to start Safari far faster than before. Until Agile fixes the command key sluggishness issue, make sure you lock your keychain after you're done using it. It's a pain in the ass, but your browsing snappiness will return if you like to use key commands like me.

::UPDATE::

Another discovery (apart from the one listed below) can be read here. Turns out that it's the "key icon" in the Safari menubar that's somehow contributing to the command key slowness in Safari. If I disable that in 1Password's preferences, the sluggishness disappears, even with the keychain unlocked. No clue, but that's somehow the culprit. Maybe it will help others. Please let me know here if you're able to reproduce this problem.

First, I can verify that removing the old InputManager left over from the 1PW 2.x days definitely made Safari (ver. 5) start up faster (2 - 3 icon bounces in the Dock instead of about 10). Start up is almost instantaneous now, thank goodness.

Second, this command-key sluggishness (and even clicking the 1P or key icons) I've been going through has persisted (any Command key combination is slow on Safari 4 and 5). This means sluggish behavior for key combinations like Cmd-T to make a new tab, Cmd-W to close a tab, or even Cmd-Q to quit Safari. Very LONG pauses before the desired result follows the keystroke combination.

However, I made a discovery today that I wanted to pass along to you all at Agile, which may or may not help troubleshoot this issue. It's reproducible on my Mac Pro and my MacBook. The sluggishness ONLY occurs while 1PW is unlocked. As soon as I LOCK 1PW again, the snappiness of my command keys in Safari 5 returns!!! Unlock the keychain, back to sluggishness. Completely reproducible on both my machines.

I have rebuilt the data file and cleared caches several times. The only other InputManagers I still have running are DeliciousSafari and the latest beta of Glims (if that's even still an InputManager).

Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
[From Slow Safari startup with 1Password enabled (when the Cache is out of date)]

Use Only One Partition for AirPort Extreme (802.11n) Disks

2010-06-27T09:54:00.001-05:00

Turns out that using more than one volume per disk connected to an Airport Extreme isn't a good idea. May explain some of my issues.

The AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule work with most disks that are not software RAID volumes (no more than one volume per physical disk).
[From AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule: USB storage device supported formats and protocols]

Ecto Finally Updated to 3.0.2

2010-05-31T13:48:00.001-05:00

Seems like every time I buy software, I get screwed. The developer stops developing the software, or the developer gets bought out by a bigger company (who ignores the software), or both. At any rate, I had nearly given up on Ecto...my favorite blogging software (which was chock full of bugs). Still not much better than Ecto out there, so I'm glad they've finally paid it some attention.

ecto 3.0.2 was released today via the built in software updater. The ecto 3.0.2 release includes the following fixes:

updated Amazon plugin
updated Flickr plugin
include Atom03 plugin by default (mostly for older Japanese blog systems)
fixed a URL redirect handling bug
minor documentation updates (link to correct location for support forum, etc.)
the ecto updater now uses a different XML feed to update the software based on the operating system version, separating Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) from later versions, (Leopard and higher)
[From illumineX: ecto 3.0.2 released]

mDNSResponder Constantly Doing "Something"

2010-05-31T13:40:00.001-05:00

I noticed my mDNSResponder connecting constantly to opendns (didn't always happen but when it did it was constant). Found the links below. It basically requires a bit of under-the-hood tweaking.

Make a back up copy of the mDNSResponder.plist file as a precaution.
Open the mDNSResponder.plist file in Terminal using your preferred text editor. Here is a sample command:
```
sudo nano "/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist" 
```

Add "<string>-NoMulticastAdvertisements</string>" to the array in the "ProgramArguments" section.

In other words:

  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
        <array>
            <string>/usr/sbin/mDNSResponder</string>
            <string>-launchd</string>
        </array>

becomes...

        <key>ProgramArguments</key>
        <array>
            <string>/usr/sbin/mDNSResponder</string>
            <string>-launchd</string>
       <string>-NoMulticastAdvertisements</string>
  </array>

Save the file.

Important: If you edited the file using emacs, you must remove the emacs backup file (the file with a tilde at the end of the name, "/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist~") or your Mac will not start up.
Restart your Mac.

****

UPDATE 12 June 2010: The problem, as it turns out, was listing my OpenDNS servers in both my Airport Extreme (for the entire home network) and my Mac Pro. As soon as I deleted the OpenDNS servers from Network Preferences on my Mac Pro, everything returned to normal...no more constant outgoing connections. The above method worked too, but it was at the cost of losing Bonjour connectivity on my home network (not acceptable).

[From Snow Leopard disabling mDNSResponder/Bonjour drops internet - Mac Forums]

Mac OS X v10.6 uses the mDNSResponder process for unicast DNS (Domain Name System) functions, as well as Bonjour functions. Disabling the mDNSResponder process will also disable unicast DNS resolution, and without unicast DNS resolution, Mac OS X v10.6 cannot resolve hostnames such as www.apple.com.

In some network environments, administrators may prefer that Mac OS X v10.6 not transmit Bonjour service advertisements. You can use this advanced article if you are a network administrator who needs to disable Bonjour advertising service without disabling Bonjour queries and DNS.
[From Mac OS X v10.6: Disabling mDNSResponder will disable DNS]

Adobe Blocking HTML5 To Save Flash

2010-02-15T08:35:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you're a major software company with a huge investment in a buggy, cumbersome technology (that's expensive for users to implement and maintain) that's being directly threatened by a better, lighter-weight technology that's open-source (and thus free)? You act like Microsoft, of course.

Long live HTML5 and down with Flash!!! I truly believe the iPhone and iPad will drive the eventual adoption of HTML5 that will supplant Flash. The sooner it happens the better for us all.

Larry Masinter, Adobe, quoted in the minutes of yesterday's weekly phone status report for the HTML working group: do I need to repeat objections?

Net result: the latest publication of HTML5 is now blocked by Adobe, via an objection that has still not been made public (despite yesterday's promise to make it so).
[From Hixie's Natural Log: Consistency]

Photo Editing Noobs: Use Layers

2010-02-07T14:34:00.001-06:00

And you don't need Photoshop to use Layers. Just download the free, open-source GIMP editor and enjoy! GIMP can do most everything that Photoshop can and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Do you edit your digital photos using layers? If not, you're missing out on the single most powerful tool in your photo editing repertoire. Layers may seem baffling at first, but they're not hard to use—and they permit all sorts of powerful digital editing tricks.

You can use layers to combine photos, create double exposures, achieve special effects like selective color in a partly black-and-white image, and even correct a shot's exposure or color balance.
[From Basic photo editing tricks with layers | Digital Photo | Digital Photo | Macworld]

1Password KeyChain Syncing Issue With Dropbox

2010-01-03T15:17:00.001-06:00

Here was my solution when I discovered resent changes to my keychain weren't being updated:

I was having difficulty with my agilekeychain not syncing the latest data changes. It's not a problem with Dropbox. Open 1Password>Preferences>Advanced and then Clear Cache. Uncheck using cache to prevent this from happening again (or simply remember to clear the cache).

[From 1password AgileKeyChain is not syncing « Dropbox Forums]

Make Web Clips in Safari for Dashboard

2010-01-02T14:43:00.001-06:00

Here's a neat little trick that I haven't used much!

Leopard makes it easy to create a Dashboard widget from a segment of a web page. For example, you can capture a “new releases” list from a media website, or the “latest posts” field from an Internet discussion group. These Web Clips appear, automatically updated, whenever you open Dashboard.

[From Apple - Pro - Tips - Creating Web Clip Widgets]

Avoid Special Keys in Screen Sharing

2010-01-01T17:14:00.001-06:00

Open Terminal and type:

defaults write com.apple.ScreenSharing DoNotSendSystemKeys -bool YES

To restore the old behavior, change the last word to "NO." You can also use a plist editor if you're scared of the Terminal.

If you prefer the 10.5 behavior, wherein special keys are never sent to the remote Mac, there is a solution. It requires Terminal (in Applications -> Utilities), but only for one command. Launch Terminal, then copy and paste the following line (while Screen Sharing is not active):
[From Don't send special keys in 10.6's Screen Sharing | Mac OS X | Mac OS X Hints | Macworld]

New Airport Extreme Crashes Wireless Tiger Clients

2009-12-25T18:33:00.001-06:00

I've spent most of Christmas Day trying to figure a way out of this mess. I even downgraded my old Powerbook G4 to Panther, only to discover that it--initially--had no support for WPA security (doing the normal upgrades to it now via Ethernet). Not sure why it seems that every time I buy a new piece of Apple gear, it doesn't cooperate very well with older Apple gear. I understand that time moves on (and Apple wants us to as well), but one expects things like basic wireless in a working Mac to continue working with newer Apple wireless routers. But no.

I initially thought the problem might be my new WDS setup, but that's not the case. The kernel panics persisted, whether I disengaged WDS or not.

The Airport Extreme Base Station in its current firmware incarnation (7.5) causes kernel panics on ALL wireless clients running Tiger 10.4.11. This is confirmed by multiple users on the Apple Support Boards:

My Apple Tech confirmed (early November) that there is a known problem with the new Airport Extreme Dual Band Base Station causing kernel panics on computers running Tiger (only when connecting wirelessly via an Airport card -- not when connected via Ethernet cable). Apple Engineering has been notified and has not -- as yet -- released a software update to Tiger. Based on some customers' reports, we tried disabling the Guest Network on the base station, but that didn't work for me. Has anyone figured out a work-around besides 1) the ethernet cable and 2) upgrading to Leopard?
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - Kernel Panic when Running Tiger ...]

One user managed to get Apple to send him a Leopard install to address the issue:

Here's my experience. Ran two iMacs with Tiger 10.4.11 and a new iMac Intel Core Duo with an Airport 801.g Extreme. Alls well. I upgraded to an Airport 801.n and all **** broke loose with Unresolved Kernel Traps (UKT) on both Tiger machines. I managed to obtain Leopard from Apple and will upgrade each Tiger machine a couple of days apart to be sure I don't have any more UKTs. Then I will reinstall the Airport 801.n and see what happens. If I can believe what Apple Support has told me my problems should be solved. I should know by end of this coming weekend.
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - Kernel Panic when Running Tiger ...]

So I put in a service call to Apple and spoke with a rep today; the rep didn't offer a Leopard install like they did for the other user, and they didn't even admit that there was a known problem:

No dice. Just got off the phone with Apple and their solution for me was to go into the Apple Store. He said it was a computer issue...not the AEBS. I even brought up this thread (i.e., Tiger incompatible with new AEBS) and that other users said that Apple had acknowledged this problem. He said he had not heard that and that it was my computer?

Keep in mind that I told him that both my G4 machines are running Tiger (Powerbook and Mac Mini) and both are kernel panicking with the new AEBS.

So, I obviously didn't get the good support that you received...
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - Kernel Panic when Running Tiger ...]

I've basically tried everything (including doing Leopard installs using Target Disk mode), and nothing is really working (the G4 versus Intel architecture creates problems--i.e., the GUID versus APM). I either must get a Leopard Retail disc from Apple or wait for them to officially acknowledge the problem and issue a firmware update. Arggggghhh! My Powerbook is now running 10.3.9 (Panther) after the updates and is doing fine on the new AEBS, so this PROVES it's Tiger that is not compatible with the new Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11n). The Mac Mini is dead in the water at the moment in terms of wireless connectivity (I have the Airport turned off...and no more panics). I have ordered some cheap Cat-5 cable, which should be here soon and keep the Mini running until the firmware update shows up. Apple, your users really shouldn't have to go through such nonsense.

FOLLOW-UP on 26 DEC 2009:

As a follow-up, my issues were solved by installing Leopard on my G4 machines, which was not easy. See my post below on the Apple Discussions thread:

I can confirm now--as have others here--that it is definitely the Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11n) that is causing the kernel panic problem with Tiger. It will also not cooperate with Panther 10.3.9, IF you install the AirPort Extreme Driver Update 2005-001 update:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL426

I downgraded my Powerbook G4 Aluminum 15" to Panther and had it working well at 10.3.9 until I installed the above driver update, so this driver (or some code within it) is the culprit; obviously, it hung around in Tiger but changed in Leopard and Snow Leopard (hint, hint, Apple).

I have now managed to update my old G4s (through much effort) to Leopard and both are cooperating nicely now with the Airport Extreme Base Station. I suspect Apple will update the driver eventually, but if you're having issues...go back to Panther (w/o the aforementioned driver update) or upgrade to Leopard if your system will install/run it.

FWIW, I installed Leopard on my old G4 Mac Mini (with 512 MB RAM) using Target Disc mode from the Powerbook running the install DVD. Leopard would not install any other way on that machine. Good luck all!
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - Re: Kernel Panic when Running Tiger ...]

Extend New Airport Extreme With Old Airport Express

2009-12-21T17:54:00.001-06:00

So maybe you're like me and bought a new Airport Extreme Base Station (802.11n) and want to extend your wireless network through an older Airport Express (802.11 b/g). After Googling this, I discovered I wasn't the only frustrated user. Apple wants you to buy a newer Airport Express with 802.11n to make extending your network easier. However, you can still use the older Airport Express with a little work and a hidden trick.

For some reason, this took me SEVERAL hours to figure out. It didn't JUST WORK. LOL! Fortunately, I learned that using the Option key while selecting the Wireless Mode popup menu in the Airport Utility (Version 5.5 (550.29)) returns to the user the ability to set up a WDS (wireless distribution system).

A nice user named Bob on the Apple Discussion forums confirmed the Option trick I had learned elsewhere. However, I still had trouble getting the WDS to work properly. Here's what I tried that seems to do the trick:

Thanks Bob. Yes, I found that trick elsewhere. Still had trouble, even though I went through all the proper motions (i.e., making the AEBS(n) the WDS base station and the APX the WDS remote...including entering the correct MAC addresses for each).

However, I think I've discovered the fix that allowed my old APX [Airport Express] to work with the new AEBS [Airport Extreme Base Station] in a WDS network: I set the radio mode on the APX to 802.11g ONLY! The radio mode on the base station was kept at AUTOMATIC. And I used Channel 1 for the 2.4 GHz frequency on both and left the 5 GHz frequency channel selection at AUTOMATIC on the base station. WDS wasn't working until I made those changes (don't know if one or more of those steps is important...but it's working now).
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - WDS set up problem ...]

Apple Aluminum Keyboard Low Power Warning

2009-12-21T10:32:00.001-06:00

If your Aluminum Apple keyboard suddenly tells you it can't power a USB device anymore (that it once did power without issues -- WTF Apple?!?), try unplugging the keyboard for 30 seconds and then replugging it. My SD card reader works again after doing that, though the LED no longer lights up. My Logitech camera (that once worked plugged into the keyboard) seems to not work anymore. I wonder if this was a change from Leopard to Snow Leopard?

Apple makes great stuff, but they'll just randomly change things sometimes, seemingly unconcerned with the problems those changes will cause to their uses. Rakin' frakin'...

Just had this problem on my late '07 Alu iMac. never had any bother before, it was always possible to have the wired MM and 5th Gen iPod attached. Today got a low power warning on just the iPod! (wireless MM now)

I unplugged it and reconnected after 20s - was all fine again. How odd.

interested on the power discussions here, the system profiler says the ipod is drawing 500mA thru the keyboard, and the keyboard itself only needs 20mA
[From New Apple keyboard, doesn't sync or charge ipod nano - Page 5 - Mac Forums]

iPhoto '09 Flickr Uploader Weirdness

2009-12-21T09:38:00.001-06:00

If you run into weirdness with the Facebook or Flickr Uploaders in iPhoto '09, try this. Keep in mind that if you share your Snow Leopard account and someone else is signed into their Facebook, Flickr, or Yahoo! accounts under your SL account, you'll have problems. Try logging them out and yourself in before deleting these keychains.

I found this post last week when I had the same exact problem. Today, I finally just did a Google search and found a post in the Apple discussion threads (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9936676#9936676). It says all you have to do is go into the Keychain Access application on your Mac and delete the iPhoto key from your computer.

Just search for "iPhoto" in Keychain Access, and if you have more than one key for iPhoto permissions (I have Facebook and flickr), just double click them until you find the one that contains "flickr" in the "Account" text box and delete it. I just did this, and after I restarted iPhoto, when I clicked the flickr button in the lower right, it asked me if I wanted to setup iPhoto to publish to flickr. AWESOME.
[From Flickr: The Help Forum: iPhoto '09 flickr uploader Permissions]

Using Preview to Merge and Save PDF Documents

2009-12-19T16:26:00.001-06:00

Neat trick for Preview! Changed a bit since Leopard.

For Snow Leopard 10.6.0, Apple changed the way this feature works in Preview Version 5.0 (501) and made it more cumbersome. Here’s how it’s done in Snow Leopard:

Open a PDF.

Expose the Sidebar.

Drag the PDFs you want to include in the Sidebar area.

Note B: The PDFs all retain their name in the Sidebar (contrast with Note A).

Select all but one of the PDFs in the Sidebar.

Drag and drop the selection into the unselected PDF recipient.

Note C: You only get one chance at this or you’ll need to start over. You can only drop one set of PDFs onto the recipient.

Note D: After doing so, the recipient icon changes to include a Binding Comb on the left edge. Moving the arrow cursor over the combined PDF exposes a circle-left-turn arrow on the right edge.

Save or Save As the PDF. Voilà – one PDF.
[From Snow Leopard Changes Preview’s “Combine PDF” Behavior « blog.gerrior.com]

Guide to Cleaning Your Mac

2009-12-14T20:26:00.001-06:00

Here's what you do when the little air can isn't enough...

But sometimes a bit of compressed air isn’t enough. So, here is our guide to cleaning everything from mice to laptops.
[From Complete Guide to Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Mac ]

iTunes Refuses to Store Your Password?

2009-11-27T09:59:00.001-06:00

Does your iTunes program keep 'forgetting' your password. If so, this fix may work for you. Basically, go into your iTunes account via the program (yes, you'll have to put in your password) and click "Reset Warnings" down at the bottom. You can also try Deauthorizing and then Reauthorizing your computer via iTunes, but this didn't work for me.

What seems to have worked for me (in addition to resetting warnings) is to delete the SC Info folder as detailed below.

After iTunes 9.0.1 was released, a number of users were annoyed that the check mark button for saving their password no longer worked. As a result, each purchase or app-upgrade triggers iTunes to prompt for a password.
[From Fix for iTunes 9.0.1 refusing to save your store password | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews]

Quit iTunes and any other open applications until only Finder is open.

Choose Go > Go to Folder.

Type /Users/Shared/SC Info and click Go.

If Finder is not already set to column view, set it by choosing View > as Columns.

Select the SC Info folder and move it to the Trash by choosing File > Move to Trash.

Restart the computer and open iTunes.
Authorize your computer to play your purchases. Note: If you have multiple accounts you will need to authorize your computer for each account. For more information on how to authorize your computer, see this article.
[From iTunes repeatedly prompts to authorize computer to play iTunes Store purchases]

Careful Musicians: Apple Denying Service for Tobacco Smoke

2009-11-23T18:49:00.000-06:00

Apple touts Logic's Mainstage 2 and its portable Macs as a performer's must-haves. Problem is that performers mostly work in clubs, and many clubs throughout the world still allow smoking. So, how can a company legally deny warranty service to musicians using its product as the company intended, simply because a venue employer's customers smoke? This sounds like a class action in the making. How can Apple tell the difference between environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco smoke from the Mac's owner? Will they really claim that musicians should only work in clubs that don't allow smoking?

According to the Consumerist, Apple has denied computer repair to at least two known Mac users after they took in their computers for repair. The reason? They're smokers and according to the Apple repair technicians, the problems may have been a result of second-hand smoke.

[From Apple Denying Support to Smokers | Mac|Life]

Microsoft: Windows 7 design inspired by Mac OS X

2009-11-11T16:12:00.001-06:00

Finally, an admission. Although, Vista itself was inspired by OS X! They're not admitting that here. Any idiot could figure that out. However, Vista sucked. I hear Windows 7 is a better ripoff of OS X...LOL! The really funny line is when they claim that their copy of OS X is more STABLE than OS X. I'll believe that when I see it.

When it looked to redesign its dominant operating system after the struggles of Windows Vista, Microsoft reportedly turned to Apple's Mac OS X for the "look and feel" of Windows 7.

Simon Aldous, partner group manager with Microsoft, told PCR that the graphical style of Windows 7 -- which he calls "Vista on steroids" -- was inspired by the look of Apple's Mac OS X. The new Windows operating system launched in October.

"One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," Aldous said. "What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We've significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."

[From AppleInsider | Microsoft official admits Windows 7 design inspired by Mac OS X]

Tweetie Avatar Cache Faux Pas

2009-11-02T14:37:00.001-06:00

Tweetie is probably the best Twitter client out there, but it has an annoying bug. Yes, the dev says it's Twitter's fault, but it's frustrating to the average user and no other Twitter client has this problem. Even deleting my entire avatar cache did nothing to bring on my new avatar. Yes, I uploaded a 640x480 profile pic (people should be able to see a larger version when they click on your avatar).

I just tried uploading a smaller avatar to test (<200 x 200 px), however, and it did nothing. Deleting the cache again did nothing. Come on dev...fix this BS. I shouldn't have to reinstall the app to get my avatar back. You're charging for this app, so please do your work.

Twitter has been having issues with profile images recently. It turns
out, if you've updated your profile image in the last week (and it was
a big image) it wouldn't be scaled down properly.

[From Twitter Profile Images - atebits - random stuff ]

SL Mail Fix: Copy Address w/o Carrots

2009-10-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

Open the Terminal, type or copy and paste this in, and hit RETURN. Say bye, bye to the less-than and greater-than signs you see when you copy and paste an email address in Mail. If you prefer, use TextWrangler or some other editor to edit the com.apple.mail.plist file directly, though using the Terminal is easier.

defaults write com.apple.mail AddressesIncludeNameOnPasteboard -bool NO

[From Mac Daddy World » Blog Archive » Fixing “Copy Address” in Mail on 10.6]

MS Copies Apple Again: Store w/"Guru Bar"

2009-10-22T19:07:00.001-05:00

Can these guys come up with anything on their own? Do they even have an R&D department? They copy this and copy that from Apple. And then they lambaste Apple. Probably shouldn't criticize your unpaid, external R&D department there, Steve Ballmer.

All of this image and distribution re-imagining on Microsoft’s part is great news for one company: Apple. There’s no better sign that you have your main competitor on the ropes than when it resorts to parroting your moves. All Apple needs to do is continue to set the trend, and watch as Microsoft tries to follow it.
[From Microsoft Becoming Apple With First Retail Store, Online PC Sales ]

Now Firewire Gone in New Unibody MacBook

2009-10-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

Same price for the new polycarbonate MacBook; some features enhanced and others lost, including the Firewire 400 port. Bad news for us musicians and video editors who NEED that Firewire port. Guess we'll have to fork out the extra bucks for the MacBook Pro (by design).

Just like the unibody aluminum MacBooks released last year, the latest version of the plastic MacBook has no Firewire port. This also means that the last Firewire 400 port in the Mac lineup has vanished – all new Macs, save the Firewire-free new MacBook, now have Firewire 800 only. Farewell, Firewire 400, we hardly knew ye.

[From New unibody MacBook loses two ports]

Post-SL: Use Your Contextual Menus Again

2009-09-20T08:53:00.001-05:00

One unfortunate consequence of upgrading to Snow Leopard is that Apple tossed contextual menus onto the Abandoned Apple Technology dungheap. Not much help to those of us who've grown dependent--dare I say, addicted--to the use of these right-click wonders. The replacement? A greatly improved Services system that has a contextual component. We'll have to wait for developers to catch up. In the meantime...

Here's one way to keep using your 32-bit CMs, though not a very elegant solution; it's better than nothing.

What is it?

Shortcuts is a Mac OS X application to assign hot keys to contextual menu items. It works only with menu items added by contextual menu plug-ins. Version 2.0 also allows you to display a menu with items added by CM plug-ins.
[From Abracode Shortcuts]

Great iPhone Power Management Tips

2009-09-20T08:44:00.001-05:00

Running out of juice too early? Here are some great ways to manage your battery between charges. I do all of these, but my greatest advice is to TURN OFF features you're not using--like Bluetooth, WiFi, Notifications (like Push notifications), auto mail fetching (do it manually), Location Services, and 3G. Unfortunately, some of these are spread out and need a little tapping to turn them all off. If you just need it to be a phone and iPod, turning off the previously mentioned services will greatly expand your battery mileage.

If you only need the features of an iPod or PDA, Apple makes it easy: Just flip the Airplane Mode switch under Settings.

Every iPhone user knows that the battery life isn't fantastic. Well, us heavy users anyways. If all you do is type out 10-15 texts a day or maybe make a phone call the iPhone will last easily. For those of us using WiFi, and browsing the web, and constantly reading our feeds, checking emails, testing out applications, and who knows what all day, the battery life can be a little bit on the lacking end. Here are a few of my personal tips to help you get a little bit extra out of your battery.
[From iPhone Battery, How To Help Make It Last | iGadget Junkie | iPhone App Reviews & Giveaways ]

Why MobileMe ISN'T Worth It

2009-09-06T08:04:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, MobileMe was called ".Mac" (pronounced dot-mac). I bought this service for one year, and though it was cool having an exclusive email address like shane@mac.com, there wasn't much else that justified the $100 I paid. For one (then and now), the storage space was too minimal (you can get free space using DropBox that's the equivalent of MobileMe's paid space). For the same $100 a year, I have a business-level web hosting account with ixweb.

The real deal-breaker for me with MobileMe was the syncing between computers, which NEVER WORKED. My understanding is that it still doesn't work right. The iPhone now makes that irrelevant for me. If you don't have an iPhone then a normal cellular phone or Google probably makes that irrelevant for you too.

It's true that the Find My iPhone feature is tempting, but if Apple was smart about this, they'd recognize that most features they're selling with MobileMe are available free online. They should sell just the Find My iPhone and Back to My Mac features for a cheaper cost; they'd make more money. I'd subscribe for those features, if the price was right.

“Is a MobileMe subscription worth the money?”

Umm… It’s complicated.

[From Why MobileMe is really worth it | Web Services | MacUser | Macworld]

100 Tips, Tricks, and Features of Snow Leopard

2009-08-31T15:18:00.001-05:00

Self explanatory. Go there, read, and be happy with your new, fast kitty.

After installing Snow Leopard on our Macs, the Mac|Life staff began scouring the inner crevices of 10.6 looking for all the features we can. While Snow Leopard has been advertised as more of a speed increase and "tightening of screws" of the OS, it still has some great features that'll help you work faster.

After spending the weekend with the new OS, we found 100 features, tips, and tricks that should help get you up to speed and make you a Snow Leopard power user.
[From 100 Snow Leopard Tips, Tricks, and Features | Mac|Life]

Slow iPhone YouTube Over WiFi Workaround

2009-08-28T08:06:00.001-05:00

I discovered this problem on my iPhone too and it's annoying. Fix it Apple! Changing my Airport Express settings each time isn't an option.

Currently, the wireless network is set to G-Only since this was the best setup for our office. It was only when I switched the Wireless Network Mode to B-Only that YouTube videos began watchable again. None of the other settings had any effect.

[From YouTube Slow on iPhone through Wi-Fi - RESOLVED » Media and Internet Marketing Blog]

What Apple's Snow Leopard Has In Store

2009-08-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

I'll be going for it once I know my recording gear and software will behave with this kitty.

Here’s a look at how three of these additions to Snow Leopard—64-bit computing, Grand Central Dispatch, and OpenCL—work and how they could improve your Mac experience sometime soon.

[From Inside Snow Leopard's under-the-hood additions | Mac OS X | Macworld]

And then, the smaller stuff...which in some ways is more exciting than the major stuff:

[From Snow Leopard's smaller changes | Mac OS X | Macworld]

HandBrake + VLC = Movies on iPhone

2009-08-18T09:03:00.001-05:00

Chris Breen gives some great advice for users wanting to move some of their DVD movies over to, say, an iPhone or iPod. Free software makes it easy.

If you’re a Mac user interested in ripping your commercial DVDs to a format playable on an Apple TV, iPod, or iPhone, the free video transcoder, HandBrake 0.9.3, is one of the easiest ways to go about it. With a copy of the free VLC installed on your Mac, HandBrake can rip most DVDs made today, and the results it produces are quite watchable.
[From Beyond HandBrake's defaults | Entertainment & HDTV | Playlist | Macworld]

ACL Found But Not Expected Weirdness

2009-08-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

If you see a bunch of these messages when repairing permissions, here's how to deal with it:

if you try to repair permissions and get a bunch of acls found but not expected

to fix this some chmod commands need to be executed in the terminal.

Essentially open up a terminal and do the following:

cd /
ls -le

look at the Applications and Library folders in the listing and you should see they have specific ACLs. On one of my machines the Applications folder had 2 and the Library had one. On the other both had just one.

to remove these ACLs do the following:

sudo chmod -a# 0 "/Applications"
sudo chmod -a# 0 "/Library"
[From InsanelyMac Forum > How to repair "ACL found but not expected" message in disk utililty]

MacBook Freeze and Heat While Sleeping

2009-08-08T10:58:00.001-05:00

I was having this issue while deployed and it was driving me nuts. Basically, Safe Sleep is a pain in the butt and causes this problem in the newer Macs. Also, there's more on Apple's Discussion Forums. A widget is available (called Deep Sleep) that will allow one to avoid using the Terminal. Also, more info about disabling Safe Sleep here on macosxhints.com; Apple really needs to rethink this one.

So, To Disable Safe Sleep:

Type these two commands in the Terminal, and hit return:

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0

sudo nvram "use-nvramrc?"=false

Presto, instant fast sleep, and no more crashing!!

Now if you want to reclaim some hard drive space, an amount of space equal to the amount of RAM your computer has, do the following:

In the Finder, choose Go To Folder... from the Go menu

Type "/var/vm" into the prompt and hit return

Don't touch the swapfiles, they are important. But if there is a file in that folder called 'sleepimage', just drag it to the trash and you're good to go.

[From MacFixer - Does Your MacBook Freeze When You Close It's Lid?]

iPhone Updating Same Songs Fix - UPDATED

2009-08-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

The bottom contains the original post that I THOUGHT had fixed the problem; turns out that it didn't fix a thing. However, my frustration was apparently the frustration of many others, and the solution was forthcoming.

It turns out the culprit is jacked up ID3 tags. The solution is right in iTunes. Right-click on the offending files and select "Convert ID3 tags..." In the dialog, select the latest version of tags and then resync. Problem solved!

I updated the ID3 tags of my continuously re-synced 24 songs to the latest version 2.4 (you can do this in iTunes by right-clicking on the songs). It worked in 23 cases (1 song could not be updated as it is in .aac format because I had bought it in iTunes).

I must admit I didn't figure this out myself, this guy actually did it: http://www.kgarner.com/blog/archives/2009/07/15/itunes-keeps-syncing-the-same-44-songs-over-and-over-solved/
[From Apple - Support - Discussions - iTunes keeps syncing the same 4 songs ...]

::ORIGNAL POST:: (ignore this...it doesn't work)

This hasn't worked for everyone with this problem, but it did the trick for me. Once I reset Sync History, I stopped updating the same 20 songs from iTunes with each sync, which had been adding to the sync time and had ticked me off. All better now!

Thanks to Lynn at Apple Support

Basicall I had to reset the sync history. To do this:

Open iSync in applications
Menu item iSync / Preferences
Select Reset Sync History

The next time I sync'd my iphone it worked flawlessly (and didn't reload all my content, which I thought it might do).
[From why is my iphone "updating files"? - Mac Forums]

Professional Musician Switches From Apple to Ubuntu

2009-08-07T18:21:00.001-05:00

A sign that Apple should pay attention to. If people can "switch to Apple," they can also switch away from Apple. It's not impossible to make good, lucrative art with other machines. Making a great, easy-to-use system more difficult to use by subtracting documentation (or changing a great iMovie program into a stupid one) isn't the way to go. Those kinds of decisions aren't what made you strong, Apple.

Then, during my 2009 spring tour, my PowerBook G4 exhibited signs of age, with missing keystrokes, intermittent backlighting, the failure of a RAM slot, and reduced performance. As an alternative to repairing the PowerBook, I investigated what a new MacBook Pro and upgrades for all my software would cost.

[From Create Digital Music » Linux Music Workflow: Switching from Mac OS X to Ubuntu with Kim Cascone]

iPhone/Wii Video Streaming from Netflix

2009-08-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Coming to an iPhone, iPod Touch, or Wii near you!!! This is great news for my family. Will likely only be WiFi, however.

A new player is about to enter the arena: Netflix itself, who intends to bring "Watch Instantly" video streaming to the iPhone/iPod touch and the Nintendo Wii. At present Netflix streams over 12,000 movies and TV shows over a large variety of devices including Intel-based Macs.

Todd Spangler of Mutichannel.com speculates, and I agree with him totally, that when released, streaming will be limited to Wi-Fi only.

[From Netflix expected to release a Watch Instantly video streaming app]

Why We Use Macs

2009-07-27T20:17:00.001-05:00

Unix is 40 Years Old

2009-07-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

Thanks goodness Dr. Thompson did what he did. My Mac thanks you, sir!

In August 1969, Ken Thompson, a programmer at AT&T Bell Laboratories, saw the monthlong absence of his wife and young son as an opportunity to put his ideas for a new operating system into practice. He wrote the first version of Unix in assembly language for a wimpy Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-7 minicomputer, spending one week each on the operating system, a shell, an editor and an assembler.
[From Unix turns 40: The past, present and future of the OS | Mac OS X - Page 1 | Macworld]

MS to Copy Apple's Genius Bar With "Guru Bar"

2009-07-25T08:05:00.001-05:00

What a shocker. First, Windows...then ultimately Vista, a poor OS X knockoff. Then the Zune, a hideous iPod copy. Then the decision to make a Microsoft store to copy the successful Apple Stores. Now, Microshaft plans to copy yet another Apple innovation. They're hapless and devoid of ANY original thinking. I'm waiting for the ZunePhone or something.

A leaked presentation has exposed Microsoft's tentative plans for its retail stores -- and the high degree to which they'll imitate Apple stores, down to their layouts and even the presence of a dedicated "Guru Bar" for help.

A leaked proposal for Microsoft from design consulting firm Lippicott immediately provides hints of an Apple connection with a bright, open layout where the center and edges of the store are dominated by computers showing the "seamless" link between Windows PCs and peripherals. Themed areas would push specific products, such as home theater PCs, netbooks or Windows Mobile and Zune devices.
[From AppleInsider | Microsoft stores to mimic Apple's with "Guru Bars"]

Ballmer: Macs are a $500 Logo?

2009-03-22T02:57:00.000-05:00

This moron just won't get it, will he? Being notoriously WRONG about Apple (especially his blundering iPhone prediction), Ballmer continues failing to understand the nature of true innovation that his company must alway plagiarize and pass off as their own. There's a lot more under the hood with the Mac OS--far more than Windows has, including that latest OS X copy called Vista. The hardware is irrelevant; the little bitten apple logo is irrelevant, though admittedly stylish.

America is a consumer culture that buys a logo; Americans will also pay more if they GET MORE, dumb ass.

Apple gained about one point, but now I think the tide has really turned back the other direction," Ballmer said, via webcast. "The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be."

[From Ballmer: 'Tide has really turned' against Apple in computer market - TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News Source]

Ballmer to Apple: Don't Act Like Microsoft!

2009-03-12T04:21:00.001-05:00

Yes, this is dripping with irony. Ballmer is actually asking Apple to delink it's software from hardware. I guess when a company is successful and you have no answer for their innovations, you should just accuse them of wrongdoing while ignoring your own transgressions.

Ballmer Pleads For Openness To Compete With Apple

"At the Mobile World Congress, Steve Ballmer took aim at Apple's closed iPhone ecosystem with an ironic plea for openness: 'Openness is central because it's the foundation of choice.' Ballmer has apparently forgotten his company's own efforts to vertically integrate hardware and software (Zune, XBox), its history of vertically integrating software (tying SharePoint into Office, IE, SQL Server, Active Directory, etc.), as well as years of illegally tying Windows to Internet Explorer that only the US Justice Department could undo.

Here's Ballmer's Sign

2009-01-12T13:52:00.001-06:00

Here you go! I pointed out this stupid bumble months ago. Why not go ahead and admit this for OS X and the Mac. Here's your sign, Steve: "I'm stupid."

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, who once laughed off the iPhone, has now conceded to Apple's edge in the market while hinting at a very different future for his company's Zune players.

Ballmer told the Financial Times (registration required) that the iPhone and BlackBerry have "clear market momentum" in the smartphone business.

Shortly after the iPhone was announced at Macworld 2007, Ballmer lambasted the Apple handset as the "most expensive phone in the world" while noting that Microsoft sells "millions and millions and millions of phones a year" while "Apple sells zero."

[From AppleInsider | Ballmer changes tune on iPhone, says no Zune phone]

Apple goes 'nickle-and-dime'ing'

2009-01-08T07:50:00.000-06:00

I do find this a bit troubling. Guess I'll wait for a pissed off developer out there to write code that will remove the DRM from my iTMS purchases for free. I would have to pay Apple a lot of money to remove the DRM from what I've bought, and since I've given them a lot of money this year already for new hardware and software, I'm in no mood. }:-( There are other convoluted solutions, of course, but many don't retain the original file's quality.

Apple has dropped DRM from iTunes — and is offering to remove their DRM from music you already bought for the low, low fee of $0.30 per song.
[From Apple: Give Us Money And We'll Remove DRM From Your Music]

Forget Vista and Zune flaws, Apple products impose 'tax'

2009-01-07T09:36:00.001-06:00

When your OS market share is falling to a superior product (because your fallible copycat product--Vista--doesn't work), it's time to pull out the big guns and slam the competition. Here's the scoop: Do Macs cost more than PCs? Yes. Are they worth the price difference? YES, YES, YES. I just retired a G4 after 8 years of faithful service. How many PC users can say that?

By the time a PC user buys add-ons, security software, upgrades, downgrades to XP, and wastes hours troubleshooting the most banal OS issues that Mac users never confront, I assert that they've SPENT MORE than a Mac user! Clearly, the Mac is the better deal, in the long run, and it's just a better product. Otherwise, why would Microsoft keep copying--albeit poorly--EVERYTHING Apple does?

Microsoft again pitted Mac prices against similarly-configured Windows PCs from the likes of Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
Not surprisingly, Microsoft's comparisons put Apple's hardware at a disadvantage, with the "tax" ranging from 16 per cent, or $100, for the entry-level Mac mini to 25 per cent, or $300, for the lowest-priced iMac desktop.

Microsoft also played the recession card as it knocked Apple's prices. "We're in the midst of difficult economic times - declining retail sales and lower consumer confidence," a Microsoft spokeswoman said. "People are...demanding more substance with their style in a computer. They simply do not have the luxury of spending more for less.”
"Windows PCs are offering the best value on the market," she argued, "while Apple continues to impose high price premiums on their Mac designs, offering only modest discounts of 5 to 10 per cent."
[From Microsoft bangs 'Apple tax' drum once again as Apple announce new products - Mac - Macworld UK]

Maybe this is Microsuck's attempt to make you forget about their crappy OSX copy called Vista (since the Mojave campaign isn't working), or maybe they're trying to make you forget that the Zune recently stopped working because of bad programming.

Here’s the deal. Microsoft botched the code in the firmware for its Zune30GB handheld players. Like a ticking time bomb, the problem started exploding for Zune owners once 2008 started transitioning into 2009. Users worldwide quickly found that their Zunes were completely locked out. Locked out as in "completely inoperable," that is: Zunes began resetting without warning or completely turning off. When a user flipped the power back on, the Zune operating system would begin to load and freeze on the actual loading screen. And no amount of begging, pleading, or cursing could fix the issue for a hapless user.Microsoft was quick on the "solution," which I’ve paraphrased thusly: Wait it out.
[From ZuneGate ’08: What really happened | Macworld]

Silent Keynote Exports

2009-01-05T15:32:00.000-06:00

If your Keynote exports are all fury and no sound, follow the instructions below to fix them.

After recording your narration, move to the Finder, Control-click on your presentation file, and choose Show Package Contents. In the resulting window, locate the narrationTrack0.m4a file. This is your narration track. Make a copy and move it to the Desktop.

Open both the narration and video files in QuickTime Player Pro. Select the audio track, select everything in it, and copy. Now select the video track and choose Edit -> Add to Movie. The audio track will be added to the video track.
With luck, the two will be in sync. If not, you might wish, instead, to import the video track into GarageBand and then place the audio track in a separate track and move it around so the two are in sync.

[From A fix for mute Keynote exports | Mac 911 | Macworld]

Leap-year bug kills Zune

2009-01-01T08:59:00.000-06:00

To quote Star Wars: Now Ballmer's failure is complete.

December 31, 2008 (IDG News Service) Microsoft's Zune 30GB music player just wasn't ready for a leap year.
That's what owners of the devices discovered Wednesday morning when they awoke to find their players frozen and unworkable.

The problem turned out to be "a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year," Microsoft Zune spokesman Matt Akers said in a posting to Zune forums Wednesday. The issue does not affect all Zune players, but all models of the Zune 30GB are potentially affected, he said.

Zune is Microsoft's alternative to Apple's popular iPod devices.
The bug disabled the players on Dec. 31, the last day of a leap year. Microsoft expects that the bug will resolve itself by Jan. 1, when the device's internal clock will reset itself. [From Zune chokes on leap-year bug]

Preview app: Print non-contiguous pages

2008-12-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

Print non-contiguous pages in Leopard’s Preview | Mac OS X Hints | Macworld:

Open your multi-page PDF in Preview, hold down the Command key, and click on each page you’d like to print. With more than one page selected, the File -> Print menu item changes to read File -> Print Select Pages. Choose that, or just press Command-P, and you’ll print the selected pages.

Mighty Mouse scrolling problems and fix

2008-12-24T15:10:00.001-06:00

I have this problem too, except my mouse usually has trouble scrolling back up. Pressing down hard on the little scroll ball and swirling it around usually fixes the problem. Apparently, using canned air occasionally can help quite a bit too.

Apple Mighty Mouse Won’t Scroll Down at Josh Bancroft’s TinyScreenfuls.com:

Well, it turns out, when the Mighty Mouse scroll wheel gets dirty, it stops being able to scroll down. Apparently, it’s a common problem, as a quick Google search turned up tons of pages, like this one at MacOSXHints.com.

The fix? Blow compressed air around the scroll ball, or just push on it really hard and roll it around (that worked for me). If you’re lucky (I was), it will start working again. If it keeps doing it, though, I’m going to have Apple replace it.

Be careful out there, Mac users

2008-12-23T19:30:00.001-06:00

There's a way around everything. The best thing you can do is to use multiple layers of software and physical security. Make it hard on your would-be thief in every way possible.

Use an Open Firmware Password (yes, I know how that can also be defeated). Use a physical lock on your Apple laptop. Use iSight or some other security software to track your computer BEFORE its data is erased (I'd wager few thieves will understand the Mac the way they do PCs). When you're out and about, turn on every security gizmo in your Mac that you can--screensaver password, disable auto-login, enable timed logout, lock your keychains, etc., etc. Use a firewall when you're not behind a router.

In short, protect your data first and your machine second. Make your Mac a less delectable target.

Reset OS X Password Without an OS X CD | TheAppleBlog:

To reset your OS X password without an OS X CD you need to enter terminal and create a new admin account:

Reboot
Hold apple + s down after you hear the chime.
When you get text prompt enter in these terminal commands to create a brand new admin account (hitting return after each line):

mount -uw /

rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone

shutdown -h now

After rebooting you should have a brand new admin account. When you login as the new admin you can simply delete the old one and you’re good to go again!

User accounts and file sharing in Leopard

2008-12-21T10:40:00.001-06:00

Computerworld - User accounts and file sharing in Leopard: What's new:

NetInfo is no more, and you can now create groups and share any folder on your Mac.

Apple has made some major improvements in Leopard when it comes to creating and managing user accounts, file sharing and remote access. The biggest change, though, is something most Macintosh users may never see because it was accomplished so seamlessly: Apple has retired the proprietary NetInfo database that has stored and managed local accounts since the beginning of Mac OS X.

Make your own fun banner in Terminal

2008-12-21T09:57:00.001-06:00

5 Ways to Use the Terminal in OS X, from Useful to Just Fun:

Just type banner followed by a phrase of your choosing to create a huge text banner. For example, banner Welcome to Low End Mac will create a banner out of the phrase "Welcome to Low End Mac."

It's pretty neat to watch it flow across the screen, but you can actually make a printable version.

First let's change directories to your Desktop:

cd ~/Desktop/

Then create a new blank file called banner.txt:

touch banner.txt

Now type your banner command, followed by > banner.txt:

banner Welcome to Low End Mac > banner.txt

The ">" directs the output of the previous command into the specified file. Double click the banner.txt file on your Desktop, and you'll see your printable banner in your default text editor.

Install and Boot OS X Using Thumb Drive

2008-12-16T16:28:00.001-06:00

This can be a useful trick if you need to troubleshoot a Mac that just won't boot up. Also, be sure to check out the freeware DasBoot application, which can make a lot of this much easier to do. The key is to also include your favorite troubleshooting utilities on the thumb drive (e.g., DiskWarrior, Tech Tool Pro, etc.).

BradBergeron.com » HOWTO: Install and Boot OS X On a Flash Drive:

You will need a 1GB or larger flash drive. It is impossible to install OS X on anything smaller. After testing this procedure multiple times, the largest free space I had after booting up was 11.6MB.

You will also need the original Mac OS X Install Disc(s) that came with your computer.

Spotlight can do more than you think

2008-12-14T10:14:00.001-06:00

Quick math and quick photo location are just a few!

5 Things You Never Knew About Spotlight | TheAppleBlog:

You probably know that you can access Spotlight quickly with the Command-spacebar keyboard shortcut, but here are a few more tricks you might not know exist.

Empty iPhoto Trash, Regain Space

2008-12-14T10:01:00.001-06:00

Make sure you empty your iPhoto application's trash every now and then!

iPhoto, the secret disk space thief | MacUser | Macworld

Ballmer: Vista will run on your Granny's PC!

2008-11-24T15:40:00.001-06:00

Okay, I'm stretching it with that entry title. But you can see in this article that the doof, Ballmer, appears to be trying to market Vista to certain unsuspecting users, knowing it won't work for a lot of their systems.

Steve Ballmer Must Testify In 'Vista Capable' Suit -- InformationWeek:

Consumers Dianne Kelley and Kenneth Hansen sued Microsoft for consumer fraud last year. They contend that Microsoft intentionally duped customers by advertising as "Vista Capable" computers that lacked the horsepower to fully support all of Vista's features, such as its 3-D Aero interface. A judge earlier this year granted the case class-action status.

In requesting Ballmer's testimony, the plaintiffs entered into evidence e-mails -- unsealed by the court last week -- in which Ballmer appears to have been informed of changes to the Vista Capable definition that allowed inclusion of an underpowered Intel (NSDQ: INTC) graphics chipset.

Office 2008 Update Problems

2008-11-23T19:17:00.000-06:00

Microsoft continues to have issues with its Office 2008 updates. Don't use Monolingual until they can sort this out!

Office 2008 12.1.2 (#2): More fixes for problems installing; Word bugs - MacFixIt:

Users continue to report issues with installing Office 2008 12.1.2. MacFixIt reader David Badovinac has discovered a somewhat kludgy fix, as follows:

Download the standalone Office 2008 12.1.2 updater
Mount the disk image then control-click the updater file and select "Show Package Contents"
Navigate to Contents -> Resources
Open the script "package_updatable" with TextEdit or another plain text editor.
Remove these lines:

if not found_valid_version:

sys.exit(48)

Save the file then close it and reattempt the update.

Changing the login background

2008-11-15T20:21:00.001-06:00

Neat for when you get tired of looking at the same ol' image.

macosxhints.com - 10.5: Change login panel background:

While attempting to get rid of the gaudy pink and purple Aurora login picture, I found that it is no longer enough to simply rename your picture of choice to Aurora.jpg and drop it in Desktop Pictures a la Aqua.jpg in previous releases.

To change the picture behind the login panel in 10.5, one must name the picture of choice DefaultDesktop.jpg, and drop it in to /System » Library » CoreServices. Doing this as the admin user is required for authentication purposes.

[robg adds: It's the simple things that can make using one's OS of choice more pleasant :). I used Terminal to create a backup of the original image first, just in case. After cding to the CoreServices directory, I then did sudo mv DefaultDesktop.jpg DefaultDesktop_old.jpg, then moved my new image in.]

Ballmer: Google Android no competition

2008-11-09T11:23:00.001-06:00

We all know that Steve Ballmer emanates endless assertions of accuracy, such as when he said here that the iPhone was-a nuthin'. And we can also see how M$ failed to recognize Google as a threat in other ways, such as searching.

Let's hope Ballmer continues as CEO of M$, so that he continues screwing up...like he did with Vista.

Ballmer doesn’t see Google Android as competitor yet | Macworld:

Google’s Android mobile platform doesn’t “bubble up to the top” of Microsoft’s list of toughest competitors to Windows Mobile in the market for smartphone OSes, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said this week.

Speaking at an investor day hosted by Australian telecommunications carrier Telstra on Thursday, Ballmer said that it’s too early to tell if Android will ever be a serious competitor in the mobile market, where others have already marked considerable territory.

Powerbook Memory Slot Suit

2008-11-05T18:57:00.001-06:00

It has finally happened! Please see my previous posts here and here on this exact problem and Apple's lack of assistance. I'm jumping onboard this lawsuit as soon as it gets class-action status. Why doesn't Apple just fix crap that they screw up? Seems like it would be a lot cheaper.

Apple faces lawsuit over defective PowerBooks | Macworld:

Editor’s Note: This story is excerpted from Computerworld. For more Mac coverage, visit Computerworld’s Macintosh Knowledge Center.

A New York man has sued Apple in federal court over flaws in the PowerBook G4 and has asked the judge to grant the case class-action status.

In a lawsuit filed last week in federal court in San Jose, Calif.,, Giorgio Gomelsky accused Apple of refusing to repair his PowerBook G4 notebook, which he said has a defective memory slot that has prevented him from adding more memory to speed up the system.

Apple’s refusal, Gomelsky charged, was particularly galling because the company had previously acknowledged problems with PowerBook G4 memory slots and had set up a free-of-charge repair program for a limited number of systems.

Netflix opens 'Watch Instantly' for Macs

2008-11-02T20:30:00.000-06:00

Finally, though we've considered dropping this service. This is a beta test for which you'll have to opt-in. To do so, following this link:

Opt-in for Silverlight Movie Player Beta

Get the Silverlight Plug-in here.

Netflix opens 'Watch Instantly' to Mac owners who opt-in - Engadget:

Mac owners who have been waiting for Netflix to open up the 'Watch Instantly' option just got a little something to light up their day -- the service is now available to the public; or at least members of the public who opt in via a web form. It's all based on Microsoft's Silverlight, so you'll need to download and install the plugin for your web browser, but please mind the six device limit if you've got a small cadre of 'Watch Instantly' devices in use. So if you can live with the fact that Microsoft tech is the lynchpin to your Mac streaming enjoyment, hustle on over and sign yourselves up for that non-HD, but ample selection of streaming content.

Hack Google, download an mp3

2008-11-02T10:39:00.000-06:00

Looking to download an mp3 from your CD collection (ahem)? Don't want to use BitTorrent for fear of the RIAA busting down your front door? Use Google! Of course, don't forget about seeqpod.com either!

HACKING GOOGLE: TURNING A SEARCH ENGINE INTO AN MP3 DOWNLOADER

Copy / Paste the code below into your Google search box:

-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +(wma|mp3) "<BANDNAME/SONG>"

FireWire-to-USB for new MacBook?

2008-11-02T08:25:00.001-06:00

Though not yet supported on OSX, this (or a product like it) could help assuage the angry Apple hoard, upset over Apple's decision to nix FireWire from the latest MacBooks. You guessed it...you'll have to buy it, even if it does happen, and don't expect true FireWire sustained speeds either.

FireWire-to-USB: MacBook Redeemer? | TheAppleBlog:

Apple’s decision to axe FireWire from the MacBook line is not sitting well with many users, to say the least. For high-quality audio and video transfers, FireWire is the standard for professionals and hobbyists alike. Though USB is technically capable of faster transfer speeds than FireWire 400 (480 Mb/s vs. 400), FireWire has greater effective speed and power distribution because it doesn’t depend on a computer host port.

Order cheap prints online and pick-up local

2008-11-01T18:53:00.000-05:00

Need to make some quick prints of your latest photo masterpiece? Just order through snapfish and pick them up at Walgreens. Of course, Apple finally got smart and lowered their stinking prices, so they are now competitive too.

How to print digital photos cheap at ProBargainHunter.com:

How much do you pay for printing your digital photos? If the price is more than $0.07 for a 4"x6" glossy print then you pay too much. Here is a list of web sites that I used in the past with very competitive pricing and good service. In addition at the end there is a table with pricing stats on other alternatives.

***

If you are in a hurry then Snapfish is the right service for you. You can order your prints online and pick them up at any local Walgreens store in your area (expect to pay a sales tax if you do so). Besides Snapfish often runs promotions of different kind which is why I happen to use them a lot. I suggest you to check current Snapfish deals before ordering your prints.

Snapfish pricing might not be as good as the other two services but it is still very competitive: 4"x6" - $0.12, 5"x7" - $0.79 to $0.39 (based on quantity), 8"x10" - $2.99. Shipping in the US is from $0.99 and up. Make sure to check their pre-paid printing plan. If you sign up the price for 4"x6" prints will come down to $0.10. More pricing details here.

Play a VCD on your Mac

2008-10-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

If you ever need to play a VCD on your Mac, here's how:

How to Play VCD, XVCD on Mac or Windows computer, or DVD Player:

How to Play a VCD using QuickTime Player (Mac)

QuickTime Player will play a Video CD (VCD), but doesn't recognize the VCD format, so it will not find the video files on the disk and play them in order. You have to find each of the videos files for it and then open them.

To play a VCD with QuickTime Player:

Launch QuickTime Player.
Insert the VCD in the CD Drive.
From the menu bar, open the MPEGAV folder on the VCD you want to play (File>Open File>"Video CD" Name>MPEGAV
Select the first file and click the "Open" button. On the Player window, click the play button (>).
Adjust the screen size. For full screen playback, upgrade to QuickTime Player Pro ($29.99).
When QTP has played the file, open the MPEGAV folder again, open the next file and click the play button. Repeat this step until you have played the entire movie.

iT8: Convert any file to an "audiobook"

2008-10-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

Neat little tip...thanks!

ITunes: iTunes 8 Makes It Easy to Convert Any File to an Audiobook:

The simple trick? Just right-click a track and select Get Info, head to the Options tab, and then select Audiobook from the Media Kind drop-down menu. The file will instantly leave your Music library and head straight for your Audiobook library. To mark multiple files at once, just select them all and go through the same process. The only remaining step is to tick the Remember Position checkbox if you haven't already, and your tracks should now have easily found their way to your Audiobooks section, and even better, they should work like an audiobook.

OSX's Firewall: ipfw

2008-10-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

Don't waste your money on other firewall products. Apple comes with two great ones built right in. One can be found in System Preferences->Security->Firewall. The other is hidden and a bit more powerful. Just grab one (or both) of these free utilities to ease your ipfw configuration (which can be a little tedious via the command line), and you'll be safer in your online activities. These firewall offerings basically control what data is allowed into your computer, so if you ever have trouble doing something online, check your firewall settings first.

You might want to add Little Snitch too (for outgoing connections), and if you connect with a router, keep in mind that you're already behind a hardware firewall. You need a software firewall for when you're at Starbucks or some such place, using a wireless hotspot.

Macworld | Mac Gems | NoobProof 1.1 and WaterRoof 2.0:

Mac OS X’s built-in firewall—an implementation of the Unix ipfw program—works well, but Apple offers very few options for configuration. Hanynet’s NoobProof 1.1 and WaterRoof 2.0 are utilities that provide just such customization.

iMovie 08 bites

2008-10-12T22:30:00.000-05:00

Come on Apple! This is the kind of idiotic thing Microsoft does: Take software that's working well and, inexplicably, redesign key interface elements so that it becomes almost unusable (just look at the new MS Office 2007 for an example). Whoever convinced the iLife supervisors at Apple that the timeline in iMovie had to go should be sacked, posthaste, and those Apple supervisors should probably be booted as well. God, we're in trouble once Steve Jobs either retires or dies!

There's no end to the ranting out there regarding this issue, but just so you're aware...Apple apparently understands it's a dumbass, because they allow downloads of iMovie 06 to augment the 08 version. What they meant to say was "replace."

And just so you know, I made an effort and gave iMovie 08 a try; I just edited a movie with it. I got used to some things after a while (and a few new features are actually desirable), but it's still cumbersome and confusing. A timeline is too important, especially for audio edits.

BRING BACK THE TIMELINE APPLE! Leave the bumbling to Microsoft.

Copy paths from the Finder

2008-10-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Need to copy a path to give someone instructions or tell them where to put something? Here are some ways to do it.

Macworld | Mac OS X Hints | Copy paths from Finder selections:

First, you can use the Services menu. In both 10.4 and 10.5, the Services menu works in the Finder. With the object whose path you’d like to capture selected in the Finder, choose Finder -> Services -> TextEdit -> New Window from Selection. A new TextEdit window will appear containing the full path to the selected item. Press Command-A to select it all, then Command-C to place it on the clipboard.

Another option is dragging the object from the Finder and dropping it into a TextEdit window (or a Terminal window). This will only work if your TextEdit document is in plain text mode—if you use rich text mode and drag in something TextEdit can open, such as a JPEG image file, the file will be opened. But with TextEdit set to plain text mode, you’ll instead see the path to the file or folder. Again, just select it and copy it to the clipboard, and you’re done. (Some third-party text editors support this feature as well; it works with Smultron on my machine, for instance.)

You can also copy any item (file or folder) in the Finder and paste it into Terminal. You’ll see the path on the command line; you can then select it with the mouse and copy it. You can also press Command-Space, then drag-and-drop the file into the Spotlight search box. Finally, you can drag a Finder window’s proxy icon—the small icon in the title bar of the window—into TextEdit (again, in plain text mode) to see the path to that folder. Select the path and copy it to your clipboard.

Great idea for syncing keychains

2008-10-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

No MobileMe or dotmac required!

Extra Pepperoni » Keychain Sync without .Mac:

I thought of a solution for manual sync last week: One keychain per Mac. Say I have 3 systems: work, home, and other. Each system has 3 Apple keychains: work.keychain, home.keychain, and other.keychain, with each host using its own as the default. Then I can rsync work.keychain to home.keychain & other.keychain, etc. This is awkward with rsync because it’s inherently unidirectional, but keychains are small so it’s quite feasible to script.

In Tiger, I know the keychain is actually stored in memory once it’s unlocked, so it’s good to lock (unload) all keychains with “security lock-keychain -a” before updating the files — this goes in the same script.

Protect your MacBook or MBP from theft

2008-10-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

These techniques have actually been used to recover stolen MBs and MBPs and prosecute the scumbags who stole them. Video here.

How to Secure your MacBook or MacBook Pro against theft : Switching To Mac:

Do you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro? If you do then you’re in luck, give iAlertU and TheftSensor a try [also see Undercover]. These two free applications take advantage of your MacBook or MacBook Pro’s Sudden Motion Sensor as well as other input information to activate a Security Alarm-like sound notifying you of intruders on your Mac.

"Install and Keep Package" ignores you

2008-09-22T12:29:00.000-05:00

This Leopard bug has bitten me. It kept my first few updates in the Downloads folder, but that has all stopped now. Anyone?

Official Leopard 10.5 Bugs thread - Page 5 - MacNN Forums:

Software update isn't keeping packages if I choose "Install and keep package"... Unless they are very, very hidden. I checked /Library/Packages, /Library/Updates, ~/Downloads, ~/Library.. Can't find em anywhere.

I've read it works if you choose "Download only", they end up in your download folder.

Maybe it's fixed in 10.5.1, but that was the update I was trying to install and keep.

Shane's Top Mac Troubleshooting Tips

2008-09-22T02:16:00.000-05:00

(This was posted originally in January 2006 when running OS X 10.4.3, Tiger; it has been updated to address changes since Snow Leopard in 2009).

I’m no expert on this stuff, but due to the years of diagnosing and fixing Mac issues (since 1993 to be exact with my old Classic II) I’ve developed a few troubleshooting routines that I automatically run through when stuff starts acting weird. Of course, most of the tricks of the old classic pre-X days are useless now (unless troubleshooting for Classic, of course), but here are some helpful ideas for X (currently 10.6.2).

⌘ = Command key (might have an Apple on the key as well)
⌥ = Option key
↑ = Shift key

[Complete List of Macintosh Keyboard Shortcuts - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343]

First, get to know these helpful “snags” (startup key sequences):

* Start up in Open Firmware: ⌘-⌥-O-F (more below)
* Reset parameter RAM: ⌘-⌥-P-R (zaps the PRAM - see also Open Firmware reset)
* Bypass startup volume: ⌘-⌥-↑ -Delete (gets to a new volume if your current one is busted)
* Open the Startup Manager: ⌥ (pick the volume you want to start up from)
* Force Mac OS X startup: X or ⌘-X (start in OS X)
* Start up from an optical disc: C (force start from your CD or DVD drive)
* Eject optical disc: mouse, trackpad button, or hold down the eject button (at startup)
* Start up from a network server: N (if you have a network startup volume)
* Reset PowerBook screen: R (no clue)
* Start up in Target Disk mode: T (firewire two computers together and boot from the other)
* Start up in Safe mode: ↑ (more below)
* Start up in Verbose mode: ⌘-V (great for seeing what the startup problem is)
* Start up in Single-User mode: ⌘-S (more below)

Most of these key sequences are still valid for Classic OS boots also (pre-X), and most of these don’t work if an Open Firmware password has been set using either Terminal or Apple’s OFPW application. Using an OF password is a good idea, especially for notebooks that could get stolen (protect your data from thieves at least).

Backup, Backup, Backup

Before doing anything, learn to regularly backup your system. I backup every hour to another drive (using Time Machine). It’s always best to keep two backups if possible, but one is better than none. There are other good backup solutions available too, such as Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper. Do a backup immediately before making any major changes to your system too!

Programs are a-crashin’

If you have apps that are crashing, not responding, or you’re getting kernel panics, this is a sign that something is amiss. Here are the beginning steps to take:

• Repair permissions using Disk Utility if you can (this should always be your first step). Always try to repair permissions from the startup volume itself. If that doesn’t work, startup from your Install Disc and repair permissions from the Install’s Disk Utility (see below).

• Try logging out and back in.

• Try creating a new account and see if the problem persists. If it goes away then the problem is likely with your Home folder.

• Try restarting (rebooting).

• Check the volume for file system errors. There are a few ways to do this. I usually boot into Single-User mode first (see above snag list); to run a file system check, at the prompt type:

# /sbin/fsck -fy

If errors were found, continue running the above command until they’re gone; then type:

# reboot

If no errors were found, continue booting normally by typing:

# exit

Of course, you can also boot from your OS X install disc (hold C while booting), Repair Permissions, and run Repair Disk in Disk Utility. If Disk Utility or fsck won’t do the trick, consider an emergency boot disc or another bootable volume (separate hard drive or partition) with TechTool Pro or Disk Warrior to repair the volume.

• If none of these steps solved your problem try what’s listed below.

Safe Mode (↑ while starting up)

Here’s what it does for you:

* Performs a directory check of the hard drive identical to clicking Repair Disk in the First Aid pane of Disk Utility.
* Ignores kernel extensions cache (/System/Library/Extensions.kextcache).
* Loads only required kernel extensions (/System/Library/Extensions).
* Runs only Apple-installed startup items (/Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems).
* Loads only those fonts in /System/Library/Fonts (Mac OS X 10.4 or higher).
* Trashes all font caches stored in /Library/Caches/com.apple.ATS/user ID number (Mac OS X 10.4 or higher).
* Disables Login Items (Mac OS X 10.4 or higher).

Safe Mode is a limited mode which also allows one to install and uninstall software and kernel extensions, and Disk Utility will easily repair permissions while in Safe Mode. Also, a good troubleshooting step while in Safe Mode is to use the Finder to delete the following:

/Library/Caches/* (delete entire directory contents)
/System/Library/Caches/* (delete entire directory contents)
/System/Extensions.kextcache (delete only this file)

NOTE: This can also be done in Single-User mode (see below).

More Single-User Tricks (⌘-S while starting up)

Much can be done in Single-User mode (not just running fsck). It’s basically the BSD command line, so you can mount volumes and do a variety of maintenance tasks if you’re Terminal savvy (er…you’re a UNIX geek). To learn more about these commands and what they do, Google it and find out!

Mount the volume:

# mount -uw /

Run the cron routine maintenance scripts:

# sudo periodic daily
# sudo periodic weekly
# sudo periodic monthly

Update the prebindiing:

# sudo update_prebinding -root / -force

Repair permissions:

# sudo diskutil repairPermissions /

Eliminate some startup, cache, and kernel extension problems:

# /sbin/mount -uw /
# cd /Library/Preferences
# rm com.apple.loginwindow.plist
# rm com.apple.windowserver.plist
# cd /Library/Caches
# rm -r *
# cd /System/Library
# rm Extensions.kextcache
# cd /System/Library/Caches
# rm -r *
# reboot

You could also install Applejack, which is a wonderful utility to automate many Single-User maintenance and troubleshooting tasks for you.

Open Firmware (⌘-⌥-O-F while starting up)

One could do quite a bit of damage when booting into Open Firmware (basically the Mac version of BIOS), so stick strictly to these commands unless you really know what you’re doing.

You can check the current OF environment by typing:

> printenv

To reset the OF and reboot, at the prompt type:

> reset-nvram
> set-defaults
> reset-all

Sometimes, you’ll need to eject a disc when the usual methods (holding down the mouse, E, or Eject buttons) don’t work. In OF, do this:

> eject cd
> mac-boot

Another neat fact. OF is based on the old programming language called Forth, which was originally written by an astronomer named Charles Moore to control telescopes. Forth is unique in the way it handles math; one must think in RPN (Reverse Polish Notation). So to add 2 and 5 to get 7, at the prompt type:

> 25+
> 7

Hopefully by now, your problem is solved. If not, you’re going to have to jump in some place like Apple Support (especially Discussions) or MacFixit forums.

Other Resources

Lots are available online, but here are some great links:

http://delicious.com/sonicdeviant/macintosh+Troubleshooting%20

Got a new Mac? Now what? Macvideotraining.com

2008-09-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, Paul Garay (composer and podcast producer, and founder of the Inside Home Recording podcast), produces training videos for Macs and related software, specifically the software that comes with every shiny new Mac...all those wonderful Apple goodies that make your new Mac a super-machine. Check it out and learn how to get some serious mileage out of your machine!

Mac Video Training

The Joys of Moving an iTunes Library Around

2008-09-13T09:56:00.000-05:00

One strength of Apple's approach to "tech" is to hide the details from us mere mortals. That works fine for the average user, but power users can become frustrated by Apple's deviation from the obvious. Let's consider things like iPhoto and iTunes Libraries--those rather large places on your hard drive that don't move very easily (especially iTunes Libraries).

If you're like me, you've screwed this one up more than once. Why do I not learn my lesson? Because Apple computers are so well designed and built, I typically own them for years at a time. My old AGP Power Mac G4 (I bought it as a 400 MHz single processor machine in 2000 running OS 9) just did start giving my problems, after 8 years of faithful service and more upgrades than I care to mention!

So I replaced my old G4 with a shiny, new Mac Pro. This change (and the upgrade to iTunes 8) made me feel it was time to MOVE my iTunes library back to its rightful place in my home directory from another hard disk (silly me). The last time I moved it was YEARS ago, and though something in my gut told me to beware, I went ahead and stupidly dragged the folder to my home directory anyway...like a dufus. Ingrained tech erudition would lead most nerds like myself to believe that this act simply represents Computer File Management 101, but remember, Apple doesn't design their products for nerds.

The problem, of course, is that information about one's song collection is stored in the iTunes Library file, and I left mine in the ~/Music directory as is the convention. The space-munching audio files, however, are usually stored in ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music. Mine were on another hard drive (moved there years back to save space on my startup drive). If you simply drag the folder back to its rightful place and believe you can select the new location in iTunes Preferences (as convention would have you believe), you're sadly mistaken. For whatever reason, this does not work, and all the links to your music are broken. Sure, you can select the location for each song, one-at-a-time, but who wants to do something like that? That's what computers are for!

To properly move your iTunes music files around, select the new location in Preferences FIRST, and then use the Consolidate Library function to copy your files back where they go. However, I couldn't retrace my steps, because I had already reformatted that old drive. I even tried renaming the stupid drive back to its old name, but that wouldn't work either. So, I just dragged the contents of ~/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music back to the Library>Music icon in the iTunes Sidebar. It dutifully loaded all my music files again, and I was able to delete the broken links in the Library file. However, doing this means I lost all my Playlists and Ratings! Arggghh!!

The solution I found is linked below. I used Time Machine to recover my old iTunes Library file and exported my Library as an XML file (which you can also do for individual playlists). To keep the Ratings, I followed the steps below. Now, my iTunes Library is back from the dead. But I sure had to put in a lot of work to get it back. Don't do what I did...but if you (and you probably will), follow the advice in this post.

Apple - Discussions - Importing Ratings From Old ITunes:

One mod for anyone else who has this problem - if you export as a Smart List it imports it the same way and recalculates the rating. So you need to export a standard playlist for each rating. I did this by:

=> making sure the Rating column is visible in iTunes
=> right click or command-click to sort by ratings
=> select all the 5*s then say File > New Playlist from Selection
=> then select that playlist and File > Export .... and save as XML, say "My 5s"
=>then select the 4s and repeat as below

When iTunes Won't Quit

2008-09-13T07:14:00.002-05:00

I ran into this problem today (iTunes 8). Watch out for iWow!

» Tip: If iTunes won’t quit The MacTrack - Items of Mac Interest:

… The latest version of iWow (2.0.2.255) has a process called “genredetection.” If iTunes 7.5 (in Leopard) quits unexpectedly, the genredetection process doesn’t quit and forces iTunes to automatically relaunch and spawns a second genredetection process.

***

You now have to go into the Activity Monitor application and force quit all the “genredetection” processes that have spawned and only then can you actually quit iTunes…

Restoring from Time Machine back-up

2008-09-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

It can do more than just restore some lost files...use it to recover your entire system!!!

Restoring from Time Machine - James Duncan Davidson:

Once booted, I formatted the new hard drive and then from the menu bar selected Utilities > Restore System from Backup... This brought up a dialog to let me select the Time Machine source drive to use. I'll be curious to see if the restore utility will be able to find Time Machine volumes on the network, say in Time Capsules, but that will be a test for another day. In any case, the only catch I can see is that your disk has to be visible to the system without any special drivers. This rules out putting your Time Machine volume into an external eSATA enclosure hooked up to a card that requires drivers to work. Most of you probably don't fall into the situation, so don't sweat it. Use a Firewire, USB, or extra internal disk and you're golden.

***

In the morning, my system was fully restored. After rebooting, everything was right where I left it. Well, that's not entirely true. Not quite everything was there. Time Machine doesn't back up data that can be reconstructed, such as caches and indexes. This means that Spotlight will have to rebuild its index and won't be immediately available. It also means that when you launch Mail, it will think it's the first time it's been launched and will go through a "Welcome to Mail" process where it imports all of the mail messages that are on your system. It's not downloading things from your IMAP server, just recreating its database.

Mounting DMG - "Device not configured."

2008-07-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

If you have trouble mounting an image with this error, open Terminal, paste in the line below, and hit ENTER. You're simply reloading the extension that handles image mounting.

DMG mount - device not configured - The macosxhints Forums:

sudo kextload /System/Library/Extensions/IOHDIXController.kext

How to open .docx files on a Mac

2008-06-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

MS always feels the need to throw its users curve ball with every new release, such as completely changing the interface of MS Office or migrating to an entirely new document format! Thanks Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates.

Here's a bandaid solution for the frustrated, though you'll most likely lose formatting. Best thing to do is download the converter mentioned at the end of mindplunge's post or upgrade to Office 2008 for Mac.

Open .docx files on a mac | mindplunge:

Ever had to open up a docx file on a Mac and you had no idea how to? Here is the simple solution:

Change .docx to .zip

Unzip it.

Go to Safari and File > Open File…

Navigate to the /insert_name_of_Word_file_here/word/document.xml and open.

Read text.

Update:

Microsoft released a converter for the Mac last December. It’s still in beta but it does the job perfectly. Download Microsoft Office Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 0.2.1 (Beta) here.

Apple censors can't stop me

2008-06-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Concerning my recent post on the Powerbook G4 lower RAM slot failure issue, I made a post on Apple Discussions that was promptly taken down. So I’ll just post the email I received from the gracious Apple Host (along with my original post) here for all to see:

Apple removed your post on Apple Discussions, titled “Re: logic board died after being replaced 2 years ago,” because it contained the following:

* Discussion of Apple Policies, Procedures or Decisions
* Polls or Petitions
* Non-constructive rants or complaints

We are including a copy of your post at the end of this email for your reference.

Our terms of use, which include helpful information about using Apple Discussions, is located here: http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa We encourage you to continue using the Apple Discussions while abiding by our terms of use.

Kind regards,

Apple Discussions staff

++++++++++

A copy of your message for reference:

My Powerbook G4 1.5 GHz 15” (1 GB RAM) also recently developed the lower RAM slot failure. Our PB had slowed to a crawl, so I popped open System Profiler and noticed that half my RAM was missing (lower slot showed EMPTY). I thought it was the memory, so I bought another stick and tried it in both slots—the lower slot continued to show EMPTY, while the upper slot was OK.

My problem is that my PB’s serial number DOES NOT FALL within the arbitrary range selected by Apple for the Repair Extension Program. I spent an hour yesterday on the phone with Apple Tech Support, and they want me to take it to the Apple Store here in San Antonio to be checked out. Of course, they will discover (like me) that the lower slot is bad, and then they will tell me what the person at Apple told me on the phone—I’ll HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT’S NOT IN THE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE SELECTED BY APPLE FOR THE REPAIR EXTENSION PROGRAM

I have found many examples via Google of Apple customers in my exact predicament—lower slot failure with Powerbooks outside of that serial number range. Seems to me that Apple has a bigger problem than they want to admit, so let the class actions begin. One way or another, Apple will have to own up to this considerable problem.

Recommend others searching here and having my problem snoop around via Google and sign the petition and the class action that’s being started.

Powerbook lower RAM slot failure

2008-06-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

Apple doesn't do it often, but when they piss off their customers--they REALLY piss off their customers. We recently noticed that our Powerbook G4 15" 1.5 GHz (purchased mid-2004) was slowing down. Being dense, it took me a while to open System Profiler and notice that half of our memory was gone (from the original 1 GB down to 512 MB). The memory in the lower slot was listed as "EMPTY."

My problem is that my PB's serial number DOES NOT FALL within the arbitrary range selected by Apple for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5GHz) Memory Slot Repair Extension Program. I spent an hour yesterday on the phone with Apple Tech Support, and they want me to take it to the Apple Store here in San Antonio to be checked out. Of course, they will discover (like I did) that the lower slot is bad, and then they will tell me what the person at Apple told me on the phone:

I'LL HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE SELECTED BY APPLE FOR THE REPAIR EXTENSION PROGRAM.

And I'm not the only one. Others with Powerbooks outside of Apple's arbitrarily chosen serial number range are also plagued with this problem:

RAM slot not working after upgrading to Leopard | MacRumors Forums

I was not aware of this problem, however my serial number is outside the range of "affected" machines. It does exactly describe my problem, though. And perhaps it has nothing to do with Leopard but like I said, it happened just after I installed it. I suppose I can live on 1GB of RAM, but 1.5 would definitely help.

Thanks for your replies,
Matt

PowerBook G4: Memory Problems | Macintouch

I have a 1.33 Ghz 15" Powerbook and the lower memory slot has died in my machine - twice. Both times Apple (under Applecare) replaced the motherboard, but the problem clearly predates the newer machines, and I'm a little anxious about what happens once my expensive Applecare coverage lapses. I suspect that Apple is being disingenuous about the extent of this issue.

Apple - Support - Discussions - logic board died after being replaced 2 years ago:

My PB's logic board is broken again. It was fixed under warranty two years ago.

I was having problems with it, it was running extremely slow and the battery no longer charges. Turns out I am missing half of my RAM. The lower slot no longer sees the RAM, which is what happened two years ago when my logic board died.

My computer is not under warranty anymore (no AppleCare). What should I do? Has this happened to you?

This is just a small sampling of what's out there. Other key links to check out regarding this considerable problem:

Lower Memory Missing; All Forces

Allegations of 15" PowerBook RAM Slot Defect

G4 Powerbook Aluminum RAM slot repair

(if you're not willing to wait for this to play out legally - $250 repair)

Mac OS X updates disable or damage PowerBooks?

PowerBook Logic Board Failure

Powerbook Ram Slot Failure

PowerBook - PB G4 Memory Slot Failure

My cheaper, temporary solution will be to buy a 1 GB stick (yet more expense to me--thanks Apple) to insert in the one good slot; at least I'll have my original amount of RAM again. If you're one of those who had more than 1 GB RAM, you'll have to wait or pay for the repair above--don't send it to Apple (too expensive and too little warranty).

There's a petition out there to sign (4701 signatures as of June 2008), and you can also sign up here for a potential class action lawsuit. Don't get stuck paying for something that's not your fault!

Shame Apple! Look at me--devoted Apple fanboy since 1986--having to beg Apple to treat me like a loyal customer. Shame, shame, shame!

Safari 3.1.1. - "Error while printing"

2008-05-11T12:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a weird one. Under one account on my Powerbook, I suddenly can no longer print from Safari (3.1.1.) via Bonjour (i.e., a shared printer on another Mac). Other applications work fine, and other accounts can print from Safari.

Console consistently looked like this:

2008-05-11 10:22:09.602 Safari[1609] PMSessionValidatePrintSettings failed (error code = -50)
2008-05-11 10:22:09.672 Safari[1609] PMSessionEndDocumentNoDialog failed (error code = -30871)
2008-05-11 10:22:11.243 Safari[1609] Failed to end PMPrintContext

Here are the solutions I tried that were ineffective:

Repaired permissions
Deleted caches for all applications
Updated printer drivers (just in case, though no other apps were affected)
Deleted user safari prefs
Deleted user print prefs
Ran Printer Setup Repair
Resetting Printing System via Printer Setup Utility on both host and client machines

The culprit?

Little Snitch...it had been accidentally set to block Safari connections.

Safari 3.x and PithHelmet

2008-05-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

First, if you can't even install PithHelmet (because your Safari isn't recognized), use Pacifist to get the PithHelmet.bundle onto your desktop. It's a SIMBL plug, so make the following directory (if not already there) and place this plugin within it:

/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/PithHelmet.bundle

If you're using a newer Safari with an older OS (Tiger), here's how to use PithHelmet:

In Safari, select File>About Safari.
Note the version/build number in parentheses, i.e., (4525.18).
Quit Safari.
Navigate to /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/PithHelmet.bundle.
Control click to show package contents.
Open bundle and go to Contents.
Double click or open info.plist in your favorite text editor.hange MaxBundleVersion to the current Safari version. This is to match the current Safari version/build.

It will then look like this:

<key>MaxBundleVersion</key>

Save and relaunch Safari.

Original instructions: Mind Mining Medium; Safari 3.1 and Pith Helmet

Can't open trash? Try this...

2008-04-20T18:24:00.000-05:00

If you click on the Trash icon in the Dock and nothing happens, try quitting the Finder and restarting it.

Vista 'a work in progress'

2008-04-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

A work in progress? You mean M$ releases unfinished products on its customers? Yes...products that they can't completely fabricate will take some time before they can, so use this garbage until the REAL Vista is ready.

Ballmer: Vista 'a work in progress' - Business - Macworld UK:

As users clamour for Microsoft to continue to support Windows XP, company CEO Steve Ballmer called the Vista OS "a work in progress" at an annual Seattle event on Thursday.

"It's a very important piece of work. We did a lot of things right and have a lot of things we need to learn from. You never want to let five years go between releases," he said.

Yahoo to tell Microsoft to shove it

2008-02-09T20:52:00.001-06:00

Insert laugh of Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons.

Yahoo to reject Microsoft bid: source - Yahoo! News:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc. is set to reject Microsoft Corp.'s offer, initially worth $44.6 billion, as undervaluing the business, a source familiar with the situation said on Saturday.

The Internet media giant is expected to reject Microsoft's offer on Monday, the source said.

Microsoft Doubletalk

2008-02-05T19:27:00.001-06:00

A buddy named Derek pointed me to these links; they're perfect for the blog. Thanks Derek!

Phil Factor's Phrenetic Phoughts : Microsoft Boy announces his School Homework

Microsoft can't speak straight any more - Joel on Software:

Here's how Microsoft says, “SQL Server 2008 will be late:”

“We want to provide clarification on the roadmap for SQL Server 2008. Over the coming months, customers and partners can look forward to significant product milestones for SQL Server. Microsoft is excited to deliver a feature complete CTP during the Heroes Happen Here launch wave and a release candidate (RC) in Q2 calendar year 2008, with final Release to manufacturing (RTM) of SQL Server 2008 expected in Q3. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality product possible and we simply want to use the time to meet the high bar that you, our customers, expect.”

Mac OS X a growing target amongst hackers

2008-01-01T11:47:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to remember how many times I've seen this same article over the past two years. It's obvious people at InfoWorld don't know much about Macs. First, the only way that hackers will exploit a Mac is if the Mac user is an idiot, and most Mac users are NOT idiots (most of the intellectual world uses a Mac). Second, IT departments that run Macs (like the U of Mich) run Radmind, which definitely ALLOWS AN IT DEPARTMENT TO UPDATE SEVERAL MACS AT ONCE.
The PC world just can't stop the Mac hatred...so they're trying to plant the myth that Macs are now at risk. Yes...they've always been at risk (like any system), but I still say that any UNIX-based system is far more secure than Windows.

Fix some Mac slowdowns

2008-01-01T11:30:00.001-06:00

Here are some good tips for fixing slowdowns on your Mac.

Macworld | Fix Mac slowdowns

I especially like the advice given for web browsing and using Mail:

Quit and Relaunch Web browsers tend to be resource hogs, and if you visit lots of media-rich sites, this effect can increase over time. Quit and relaunch your browser occasionally (at least once a day) to speed up browsing and reduce your browser’s impact on other programs.

Over time, though, these databases can become cluttered or even corrupted, resulting in slower overall performance, among other problems. You may be able to speed up your e-mail client significantly by rebuilding the message index every few months.

Mail’s Rebuild command (Mailbox: Rebuild) works only on individual mailboxes.

Shutting down with the newer keyboards

2008-01-01T06:18:00.000-06:00

Losing my old Kensington keyboard means losing my power button. But even though I can't power up from the keyboard anymore, I can still shutdown or restart easily:

Apple - Support - Discussions - The ole keyboard shutdown ...:

Hit CTRL (yes, CTRL, not CMD) and EJECT key. This will bring up 'Are you sure you want to shut down.... dialogue box. Once in there, hit enter/return for shut down or hit 'S' to sleep.

And to bypass the dialog:

Apple - Support - Discussions - Power up from keyboard. ...:

Sleep = opt + cmd + eject
Restart = ctrl + cmd + eject
Shut Down = ctrl + opt + cmd + eject

New Apple Keyboard!

2007-12-31T20:11:00.001-06:00

Well, this New Year's Eve, I stupidly spilled coffee into my old Kensington keyboard, while typing away over at GtrOblq. Even though I took it apart and used a hair dryer on it, the bottom row of keys refused to come back to life. So, we did a mad dash to the nearest Best Buy before they closed for New Year's Eve, and I purchased one of those slender, new Apple keyboards. We didn't have time to make it to the Apple Store at La Cantera, because everything closed at 6 pm.

Man, what a great keyboard! I barely feel like I'm typing, and it's so thin that I don't even need a wrist support! Yeah! The front housing is made of Aluminum, so it seems sturdy. I looked at the other Mac-compatible keyboards, but they all came with a mouse and were at least $20 more than the Apple keyboard! So much for that theory that Apple is more expensive.

Happy New Year

2007-12-30T20:33:00.001-06:00

I've revamped the blog a little. Added some additional sidebar content. Also, be sure to sniff around at my other pages around the web, including:

http://www.sonicdeviant.com
http://sonicdeviant.blogspot.com

Have a great 2008!

Ballmer, MS, and their cronies at their stupidity again

2007-12-01T21:11:00.000-06:00

I really need to write about something else. This blog is turning into a "I hate Microsoft" column. But they're just so hateable.

The iPhone whining from Microsoft is apparently ceaseless. Too bad the iPhone WAS A SUCCESS, eh Ballmer and Allard?

MacNN | MS Zune chief: iPhone is a "lousy" iPod:

"It’s a lousy iPod," Allard explains. "You can’t skip a track without looking at it. You can’t go running with the thing."

Ballmer bawls out Apple iPhone as 'no hoper':

Microsoft's boss Steve Ballmer slammed the iPhone last week, saying it has "no hope" of gaining a foothold in the mobile phone market.

Ballmer clearly hasn't heard much about the one million AT&T customers in the US already signed-up for information on the new product when it ships.

On the security-and-utter-bull-crap front, Computerworld magazine published this gem from a hacking contest winner. Obviously, MS is trying their damnedest to reverse the PR image that their pathetic OSX-wannabe is not the malware slut it once was:

Vista more secure than Mac OS:

I have found the code quality, at least in terms of security, to be much better overall in Vista than Mac OS X 10.4. It is obvious from observing affected components in security patches that Microsoft’s Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) has resulted in fewer vulnerabilities in newly-written code. I hope that more software vendors follow their lead in developing proactive software security development methodologies.

It wasn't all bad, though, in that he actually had some good security advice for Macites:

I recommend that Mac users make their primary user a non-admin account, use a separate keychain for important passwords, and store sensitive documents in a separate encrypted disk image. I think these are fairly straightforward steps that many users can take to better protect their sensitive information on their computer.

Mmm hmm...oh yeah, it's real secure (and energy-friendly). Later we read:

Vista Battery Problems and Microsoft Security Update:

A Domain Name System (DNS) zero-day bug had been found that could expose vulnerabilities throughout Microsoft's entire server line. There are indications that Microsoft will also include a DNS patch in the Tuesday round.

Yep, it's just plain more secure than OS X. We then read this:

How Internet Criminals Will Evade Vista's Safeguards:

Think malware will fade away with Vista? Sorry. There's about as much chance of the thriving throngs of online criminals packing up shop as there is of Microsoft doing the same.

And MS's gobble-everything-up mentality hasn't gone away, seeing that they are unable to muster any innovations of their own accord; when someone is actually competing with them, they'll just work at acquiring a service or product that they just can't seem to deliver well on their own:

Reports: Microsoft pursuing Yahoo:

Microsoft is feeling increasing pressure to compete with Google, which plans to beef up its portfolio with a $3.1 billion purchase of online advertising company DoubleClick Inc. Microsoft currently trails both Yahoo and Google in the lucrative and growing business of Web search, even as Google increases its development of Web-based software that directly competes with Microsoft's lucrative Office suite.

Technorati Tags: vista, news, opinion, osx, apple, macintosh, tip, gmail, microsoft, security, google

More reasons why Vista is bombing

2007-12-01T20:50:00.001-06:00

XP continues to outperform Vista (aka poor copy of OS X).

Testers see Windows XP passing Vista - Yahoo! News:

Wellington, Fla.-based Devil Mountain Software ran several versions of XP and Vista through a test simulating common desktop computing tasks. It found the original Vista performed 50 percent to 100 percent slower than the prevalent XP Service Pack 2, or SP2.

Vista has shaken IT professionals; more and more are considering the "real thing".

Vista woes lead IT pros to Mac, Linux - Business - Macworld UK:

Users won't be booting up Vista PCs any time soon, according to a recent survey, which revealed a majority of IT professionals are worried that migrating to Vista will reduce stability and introduce too much complexity into their environments.

In terms of alternatives, Apple's Mac OS X leads the pack, with support from 28 per cent of survey respondents. About 25 per cent said they would opt for Red Hat Linux, with SUSE Linux and Ubuntu each garnering 18 per cent of the vote. Another nine per cent cited other Linux operating systems and four per cent were unsure.

It turns out that even Microsoft execs can't keep straight which version of their new OSX-lookalike OS will run on which new PCs. Just 'cause your hardware says "Vista Capable" doesn't mean it will work with the Vista that you bought.

Lawyers: even Microsoft confused over Vista marketing - Business - Macworld UK:

Actually, the Vista Capable sticker meant that the machine would not necessarily be able to run any version of Vista, but only a version. A Vista Capable machine, for example, might be able to run Vista Home Basic, the lowest-priced and least-capable version in the lineup, but not the more advanced Home Premium. (Systems also tagged with the Premium Ready sticker, however, would be able to run all versions of the operating system, including the top-end versions such as Ultimate or Home Premium.)