Tag Archives: mac

Apple Quietly Fixes iTunes Search Aggravation

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A recent update to iTunes finally fixed a long-standing annoyance. For years if you wanted to search in the iTunes Music and AppStore (or your iTunes library itself) you had to hold the shortcut key combo of Option, Command, and F.

Old iTunes Search

This is a total break in UI consistency in how most apps on the Mac platform implement search. When Apple released the Mac AppStore earlier this year they got search right by using the same shortcut every other Mac app uses.

Mac AppStore Search

And now, finally, I can use the same shortcut to search iTunes that I use to search the Mac AppStore, a Web page in Chrome, a spreadsheet in Numbers, or even the draft of a blog post in MarsEdit. Simply hold the Command and F keys to go to the search field.

New iTunes Search

One of the first things I noticed after upgrading to the iCloud compatible iTunes was this fix in functionality. Although it may have appeared earlier, I’ve just noticed it with the recent upgrade to iTunes 10.5.

iTunes Music Store Search

This works whether you’re searching the iTunes Music Store …

iTunes AppStore Search

… the iTunes AppStore …

iTunes Search

… and in your iTunes Music Library, Videos, Apps, Books, etc.

Fixing the iTunes search shortcut may seem like a small change, but it’s so much more convenient to have a uniform shortcut across all apps on the OS.

Have you noticed any other recent changes for the better (or worse) in Lion, the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

It’s OK to Ask (Your Mac) For Help

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Yes, I have a degree in IT. No, that doesn’t mean I automatically know how to use every single feature of every single computer program ever written (I wish!).

Even though this might violate the unofficial “guy code” and the “geek protocol” I’m going to come out and admit to something.

It’s OK to ask for help.

Whoa, you have no idea how much better I feel now! That was really liberating.

Finding help on for Mac apps couldn’t be easier. You can use Google and pray that you type in something that gives you back something relevant or you can the Help Search function built in to every new Mac since late 2007.

If you don’t know how to use Google you’re probably also running Windows and I can’t help you (no one can). Sorry.

If you’re on a Mac, you’re in luck—I’ve got a great little shortcut to share with you.

Show Help

Let’s suppose I’m writing a message in Sparrow and want to copy some text from a Web page in Chrome, but also want it to have the same formatting as the rest of the email.

To find out how to do that hold the Shift, Command, and Forward Slash keys and then — BAM!!!!

Help Menu Search 1

The Help Menu Search comes up for Sparrow (or whatever the active application is). As soon as I start typing, suggested menu items start to appear.

Help Menu Search 2

The more text I type, the more refined the search results appear. I can use the keyboard arrows to select the desired result; how to paste text and match document formatting in this example.

Help Menu Search 3

The popular Webcomic XKCD has perfectly summed up how I go about helping when I’m asked how to do something on a computer with this handy, dandy flowchart.

XKCD Tech Support Flowchart
Image via XKCD

Where do you go for IT help when you don’t know what to do? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Faces

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13 years ago today we made the best and most important decision of our lives and today, I’d like to commemorate it with a photo.

Photo on 9-13-11 at 10.22 PM

Yup, that’s the face I fell in love with—although highly distorted courtesy of PhotoBooth—all those years ago.

I’m convinced that PhotoBooth is responsible for selling more Macs than Steve Jobs.

13 years, three kids, and three continents later and I feel like the adventure is still just beginning. Each day is better than the one before.

After 13 years we’re still laughing with each other at each other. Happy Anniversary, Sugie, I love you! You’re why the sauce is so awesome.

Want to participate in the challenge? Head on over to The Daily Post and follow the instructions below.

1. Each week, [they] provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

Now, take a picture that captures this week’s theme and post a link to it in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

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Favorite Things: Flare for Mac

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Flare.app Logo

Image via Flare

I’ve got lots of skills (nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills, etc), but one skill I’m severely lacking is image editing. I’m really, really bad at Photoshop.

So, when I learned that Mac software developer and design firm Iconfactory had released Flare,a new image processing app, I was downright excited. In the time since I installed Flare, it has quickly become one of my favorite things.

In addition to being able to do all sorts of standard photo edits within Flare, the app ships with dozens of built-in presets (their equivalent to Photoshop Actions) which allow you to easily apply all kinds of slick edits and effects to your photos.

You can create your own custom presets or download more from the presets section of the Flare homepage for free.

The most popular Mac blogs have already written some terrific reviews about Flare, so I’ll refer to you TUAW, Mac.Appstorm, and MacStories if you’re looking for a comprehensive write up. Rather than tell you what Flare can do for your photos let me just show you.

All images below are from my flickr.

Old Spanish Fort at the Bahía de Juan Griego, Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela

Processed with Flare using the Old View preset.

Bahía de Juan Griego

La Portada, symbol of “El Norte” near Antofagasta, Chilé

Processed with Flare using the Postcard preset.

La Portada

Chilean Alpaca Shepherd near Laguna Chaxa, Chilé

Processed with Flare using the Dusty Film preset.

Chilean Alpacas

Flamingos Natural Reserve at Salar de Atacama, Laguna Chaxa, Chilé

Processed with Flare using the 35 mm Molga Color preset.

Salar de Atacama - Laguna Chaxa

Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), San Pedro de Atacama, Chilé at sunset

Processed with Flare using the Warm preset.

Valle de la Luna

Mai Khao Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Processed with Flare using the LOHO preset.

Mai Khao Beach

Chalong Temple, Phuket, Thailand

Processed with Flare using the Brownie preset.

Buddhist Monks Outside Chalong Temple

Phi Phi Islands off the coast of Phuket, Thailand

Processed with Flare using the Shoebox preset.

Phi Phi Islands

Private Beach at JW Marriott, Phuket, Thailand

Processed with Flare using the Mesochrome 160 preset.

JW Marriott Phuket

The Spot, Carpinteria State Beach, CA

Processed with Flare using the Molga preset.

The Spot

Salt Lake City Temple

Processed with Flare using the Driftwood preset.

SLC Temple

Maxwell Hawker Centre, Singapore

Processed with Flare using the B5-1 preset.

Maxwell Hawker Centre

Flare is currently available both from the Flare homepage and the Mac App Store for about $20. If you’re looking for a quick way to add slick effects to your photos it’s a steal.

If you decide to purchase Flare be sure to join the Made with Flare Flickr Group. It’s a great way to find inspiration as well as to showcase your own favorite creations. I also found 50 more Flare presets courtesy of group member Torley.

What apps or techniques do you use to take your photos to the next level? Sound off in the comments below.

1993 Called–It Wants Its Encarta CD Back

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In 1993 there were two compelling reasons why everyone needed a computer with a CD-ROM drive—getting lost in the imaginary world of Myst and using Encarta to learn all about the real world.

Microsoft ENCARTA '95 CD-ROM for Windows
Image via iOffer.

Before I was online, Encarta provided me with hours of educational info-surfing. It was the first non-game I ever remember using on a computer (with the possible exception of Wordperfect). For nearly a decade I relied on Encarta as my encyclopedia of choice.

Along with the rest of world, I abandoned Encarta in favor of Wikipedia sometime in the early 2000s. The increasingly ubiquitous nature of the Internet combined with Wikipedia’s ability to stay current helped it kill off Encarta by 2009.

Lately, however, I’ve noticed a few apps pop up in both Apple’s Mac App Store as well as in iTunes for offline Wikipedia browsing. I’m not convinced that this is a good thing.

App Store
Image via my flickr.

The second these apps gain traction Wikipedia becomes a snapshot of itself—Encarta minus the multimedia.

If you’ve been looking for something like this you should check out either Wikipedia Offline (available Mac for $14.99 for a limited time or iOS devices for $9.99) or All of Wikipedia – Offline (available for iOS devices only for $8.99).

Were you an Encarta user back in the day? If so, what for (I have memories of cranking out country reports with it)? Do you think there’s still a market for offline encyclopedias? Should Microsoft resurrect its trusty reference software? Sound off in the comments below.

Download Back to the Future for Free! (Game)

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Guybrush Threepwood

Image via Wikipedia

For a limited time Telltale Games is offering Back to the Future—Episdoe 1 as a free download for both Mac and PC.

Telltale games have done an excellent job of resurrecting the Adventure Game as a genre and have put out some really fun games featuring Strongbad, Sam & Max, as well as Guybrush Threepwood.

Download with confidence—I’m sure this will be great!

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Quick and Easy April Fool’s Day Prank for Macs

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Ah, April 1st, the day on which, as Mark Twain said, “we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four”.

What better way to have some fun today than to mess with someone you love by messing with something they love. If they own a Mac, here’s a simple trick.

Mac OS X - Invert Colors Shortcut
Photo via my flickr

When they’re not looking quickly enter the following shortcut on the keyboard.

Control + Option + Command + 8

This key combo causes Mac OS X to invert all your display colors.

Inverted Mac Color Scheme - OS X 10.6
Photo via my flickr

In most cases this will induce panic on the unsuspecting user who returns to find their beloved Mac looking all wonky. Because this is a relatively obscure feature of Mac OS X it should take them a while to figure out how to return their Mac to normal.

If you’re quick you can even do it right in front of them. As long as the person you’re pranking has their eyes on the screen and not the keyboard, they’ll have no idea what you did or how to fix it!

For some reason, Apple thought this was a useful feature to include in their OS. Apparently, it’s supposed to help provide relief when your eyes get tired (via Silvermac).

Before and After
Photo via Apple

My time as an IT auditor left me paranoid, so I never leave my MacBook without locking the Desktop. If you fear reprisal for your April Fool’s Day activities (or if have any common sense) you would do well to do the same.

Do you know any other great ways to prank a Mac user? Sound off in the comments below. If you’re still using a PC, the joke is already on you.