Tips and Tricks

I’d love to comment and I know full well that there’s rabid fans for Flash, but I’m going to keep this short and sweet. You’ve seen the headlines saying that the recent OS X update patched over 130 bugs? Well, don’t suppose you noticed that 42 percent of these bugs were bugs in Flash.
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We just got word in from Netputing that there is a quick and dirty tool to install AirPrint on your Mac OS 10.6.5 computers without getting your hands dirty.  It is probably safer to do it the old fashioned way.

I wrote a quick and dirty application called AirPrintHacktivator that will do it for you.  The application allow you to “Hacktivate” or “De Hacktivate” AirPrint by adding or removing the 3 files required… all of this while making a backup of the current files so they are properly restored during “De Hacktivation”.

Here’s AirPrintHacktivator.  Install at your own risk!
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Toshiba has introduced new solid state storage that’s compatible with the MacBook Air but offers up to 256GB of capacity.

These are the same as those used in the MacBook Air, which are also manufactured by Toshiba. Apple’s association with Toshiba is extensive. Toshiba made the hard drives at the center of the original iPod range, for example).
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Apple adapter foreground, Kanex in the back.

If you are an Apple customer who’ve had a 30-inch display since the time Apple announced they’d be going from DVI adapters to Mini DisplayPort, you’ve probably gone through the wringer like me.

Display flicker Issues with Apple’s adapter

That link is to the timeline up until last year.  I’m not alone, here are two Apple Discussions threads with thousands of people with similar problems:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8680802
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8674416
Amazon too

Now Apple’s product, after three firmware updates over two years and significant user outrage, mostly works, but I still have a problem pictured above often when I return to my Dell and HP monitors after sleep.  By clicking input on my monitor and shutting it off and on a few times, it snaps back into shape.  But that is a pain especially since I can hook up my DVI MacBook Pro without issue (and it works fine on my Unibody running Windows in Bootcamp!)  What to do?  Kanex to the rescue…
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COMPUTERWORLD: Strange days, on the one hand you see Apple discontinue its main enterprise product (the Xserve) in the same week as we see the company’s enterprise credentials climb a notch or two, and we also learn the company’s looking to mobile payment solutions in order to bring people without credit cards inside its future iWallet economy.

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When Steve Jobs was asked about watching TV on iPad in the future, he said he was doing that right now.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do the same thing?

According to Peter Kafka at Media Memo you can (at least at the moment) right now…if you don’t mind Los Angeles affiliates.   A company called FilmOn is re-broadcasting TV from LA in iPad format. The quality is really good and the servers seem to be able to handle a load.

If you want Seattle affiliates, check ivi.TV.

Both companies are being sued by the broadcasters who don’t want their advertisements to reach all of those people on mobile devices so this might not be a permanent thing.  I’m looking forward to USC Football on Saturday so don’t crash it until then at least.  kthx
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Skyfire, the browser that lets you watch Flash videos/movies via H.264 transcription is now live on the Apple Store, one day early.

The downside?  It is $2.99.  D’oh!

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We had kind of expected iWork 11 to make its first appearance alongside iLife 11 last month. It didn’t, but it looks like Apple’s productivity suite is on the way, it could even ship next month.
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Apple’s loosened-up its deal for AppleCare customers, enabling them to transfer their maintenance and support agreements to new products.

“As of 28 October 2010, customers who want to transfer their AppleCare Protection Plan (APP) coverage to a new product may do so instead of having to cancel the agreement and purchase a new one.”
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If you worry in case viruses appear on the more-or-less virus proof Mac platform, then worry no more — there’s a reputable and free anti-virus solution available for you today, from the security boffins over at Sophos.
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COMPUTERWORLD: Keeping your Mac in the best possible shape is the aim of the game, fortunately there’s a plethora of available utilities which can improve your Mac life. Here’s five personal recommendations to boost your experience.

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A Taiwanese firm has already developed a compelling upgrade for the MacBook Air — a 256GB SSD memory module which doubles the maximum capacity of the machines.

MacBook Air uses an SSD (flash memory) card instead of a hard drive. Photofast plans to offer 64GB / 128GB / 256GB SSD aftermarket upgrades.
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As we all know by now, FaceTime for iOS does not work in multiple Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Kuwait. The reason has never completely been determined, but according to Apple and other sources, the reason lies with the mobile phone carriers. Now that FaceTime for Mac is out, people have wondered if the same restrictions would apply.

SaudiMac notes that FaceTime for Mac does not allow you to select Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, or Egypt as your location. This means that FaceTime for Mac is not really supposed to be supported for users in those nations. Just because you are in one of those locations does not stop you from telling FaceTime that you are in the United States, for example. Simply put your location as another country and you’re good to go; FaceTime for Mac will work. For those whose FaceTime already has the United States (or another supported location) as the default country, just don’t change it.

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Here’s interesting, buried deep inside the new beta FaceTime for Mac is code which alerts you when you receive an incoming FaceTime call — even when you haven’t got the software active on your Mac.  Apple says as much on their Website:

The theory seems sound enough — it is, after all, no more than the same alerts you are already used to receiving from some non-open apps on your iOS device.  Through Push Notifications…
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Apple has issued its first software patch for the newly-introduced MacBook Air, which made a first blushing appearance yesterday.

The update is described as fixing a few graphics issues which affect the lightweight Mac when used with iMovie or an external display, and is recommended for all MacBook Airs.

Apple’s notes follow:
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Pssst: Looking forward to iLife? Head over to Amazon Germany and you’ll find a little pop-up telling you — helpfully — it will be available from 20 October 2010. Surprise? Probably not.

The interesting bit happens when you venture over to the US version and peep Amazon’s new lower price: $49.99:

Just last week we reported that BestBuy.com has iLife on backorder.

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Seagate has upped the portable drive ante again with their new 1.5TB FreeAgent GoFlex.  The new drive comes with their GoFlex interface connected through a USB 3.0 (which is also 2.0 compatible).  Though that won’t be of much use to Mac users at the moment (maybe in October?), the size will turn some heads.  It is 50% bigger than any other portable hard drive on earth.

If you are like us, you are wondering if you can pull this thing out of its case and plop it in your MacBook Pro.  The good news is that Seagate’s Go Flex interface is just a snap on for a SATA connection and will work with any standard SATA drive.  It also means that you can pull these drives out of their case and use them as internal drives.

I’ve contacted Seagate who’ve given me the dimensions of the external enclosure which are:

4.71in L x 3.51in W x 0.87in D (120mm x 89mm x 14.5mm), Weight: 0.62lb (0.28kg)

Update: Seagate has confirmed to me that the Internal Drive height is 12.5mm meaning that it will fit into a Unibody MacBook/Pro.

List price however is a hefty $249.

Press release follows:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4qBZ5gPCHA&w=640&h=385]

The Mosspuppet gets into our Tips and Tricks section.

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Update: Microsoft has a dummy howto page up here.  The links don’t work but obviously Microsoft’s prepping itself

If you are quick and a Microsoft Volume License customer you can now download the Mac Office 2011 from Microsoft. It appeared on Microsoft’s Volume license page over night and readers have already downloaded their copies.

We’re not sure if this is a mistake or an early gift for volume customers.  It weighs in at 972MB (not GB!) and no license key is required. It’s labelled as “Office for Mac 2011 Standard”. However, it includes the full package (including Outlook and Messenger v8).  Look for:

SW_DVD5_Office_Mac_Standard_2011_English_MLF_X16-99088

The official release wasn’t expected until late October.  Some screenshots below (Thanks Jared!)
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Full story here. Short version: Kindle.app, Nook.app and iBooks.app are more similar than different.

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/main.swf

Apple has updated Final Cut and Logic Studio, issuing its Pro Applications Update 2010-02.

The update offers improved versions of Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and Qmaster 3.5, but most changes affect Final Cut Pro.
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