Update some iCal event info without editing
If you double-click an event in the 10.5 version of iCal, you get a little pop-up window with some details and Edit and Done buttons, as you probably already know. This window might look worthless for editing, but even if you don't press the Edit button, if you drag and drop some text onto this pop-up window, the text will be added to the notes field of the displayed event. I did this by accident and was surprised it happened, so I tried a few more things. Drag and drop a file, and it is added as an attachment. Drag and drop a person from Address Book, and they are added as an attendee. You can also drag multiple people, or an existing group, to have them all added as attendees. Drag a URL, and its added as a clickable URL. So despite appearances, you can actually do some basic editing in the event info pop-up window. [robg adds: If the even has an existing URL, ...
published on Wednesday, the 26. November 2008, macosxhints
Work in some windows while Dashboard is active
I use a small utility called Witch to switch between open windows in applications via Option-Tab, instead of using the built-in Command-Tab, which just switches between applications. I recently realized that, when Dashboard is active (F12), you can use Witch (Option-Tab) to select a window, and then you can do some things in this window while still having Dashboard active and frontmost. For example, you can select a TextEdit window and write in it, jotting down some notes relative to something in a Dashboard widget. This will work as long as you don't click the mouse button. I've found this quite useful at times. [robg adds: This could also be useful for selecting text in a background window and copying it (hold down Shift and use the arrow keys to select text, then press Command-C), for pasting into a Dashboard widget, if you forgot to copy it before you invoked Dashboard.]
published on Friday, the 9. May 2008, macosxhints
10.5: Permissions and SMB shares in Leopard
In OS X 10.5, Apple added the ability to share individual folders to the Sharing preference panel. However, one needs to be aware of permission problems when attempting to share a particular folder. To illustrate this problem, I will use an example: Create folder ABC in ~/Documents Press Command-I and check the Shared Folder checkbox Click on the Enable button to enable file sharing Go to the Sharing panel in System Preferences and click on the File Sharing item Click on the Options button and enable SMB sharing by checking the Share Files and Folders using SMB checkbox (there is no need to enable SMB sharing of accounts, as we will see later) By this step, you would expect to see folder ABC under your computer's name in Network Neighbourhood in Windows, but it's not there. In fact, you can't even acce...
published on Wednesday, the 5. March 2008, macosxhints
10.5: A useless hint to create infinitely mirrored screens
First, this is just for fun, and has no practical use at all. Second, see the warning below before trying this... Everyone knows the old fairground trick of infinite mirrors, where opposing mirrors give an image repeating itself into infinity. This was also replicated famously in Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody video. Well, try this...from Mac #1, connect to Mac #2 using screen sharing in the Finder (not iChat). From within the screen sharing window, connect Mac #2 to Mac #1, again using screen sharing. Stand back and wonder what you can use this for! Warning: I had trouble getting out of this mode once in it. To do so, I put Mac #1 into sleep mode (press and hold the power button), and as soon as I woke it again, was able to quit screen sharing. YVMV, and I have no idea what effect different window sizings or options may have. Fun for the child within though :...
published on Tuesday, the 4. December 2007, macosxhints
10.5: Apply Photo Booth effects to iChat icon
Click on your icon at the top of the iChat buddy list and choose the Edit Picture option. The familiar edit mode window will appear, but with the addition of a new Effects button to the right of the Take Snapshot button. Press it and a nice little transparent menu of all available photo effects will appear. Not mind blowing, but nice and I wasn't able to find another hint about it. Enjoy!
published on Monday, the 3. December 2007, macosxhints
10.5: Close Time Machine via the Close button
When you are in Time Machine, you can press the red close button at the top left of the window being viewed to close Time Machine. When you do so, the window itself will not close, just Time Machine. This is also useful if you have a slower computer and you want to cancel Time Machine while it is animating to the Space visual. You can press the close button on the window in question at any time during the animation, and it will revert back to it's pre-Time Machine position. You don't have to worry about the window closing.
published on Friday, the 30. November 2007, macosxhints
Access more Exposé functions from the slim keyboard
I just got a new Mac, and I'm enjoying its super-slim keyboard. While playing around with it, I discovered that pressing modifier keys while using the Exposé key you can produce different results. For example, it's well known that pressing Option and the brightness control (or sound control) keys brings up the appropriate System Preferences pane. Also, Shift and a sound control key will toggle between silent and beep on volume change.But with the Exposé button you can do the following:F3 = Show All WindowsCommand-F3 = Show DesktopControl-F3 = Show Application WindowsThis tip does not apply to people using custom shortcuts for Exposé (like the default F9), and only works with the super-slim keyboards.
published on Wednesday, the 28. November 2007, macosxhints
10.5: Use Preview to quickly create a transparent icon
I stumbled on this tonight after using Preview's 'Instant Alpha' function to add transparency to some photos that I was using as icons. Here's how you can use this new feature to complete a completely transparent icon: Find a pure-white area in a folder, then press Shift-Command-Control-4, and drag out a square. Release the mouse when done, and the white area is now on your clipboard. Open Preview and press Command-V. Click and hold on the Select button in Preview's toolbar, and Instant Alpha from the drop-down menu. Click and drag across the white area until you see the displayed value reach 100%, then press Return. Copy the selected area (Command-C). On the desktop, select your new folder and press Command-I (File » Get Info). Press Tab once in the Get Info window to highlight the default icon...
published on Monday, the 26. November 2007, macosxhints
10.5: Search for files by name in Finder
If you are looking for a file by name, and don't want to use Spotlight's File Name button, just press and hold Shift, select the Finder's File menu, and notice that the Find entry has become Find by name. Select that entry, and the Finder will open a new window with a preset search set up for Name Contains; type your filename, and you're done. [robg adds: You'll see a bit of a visual bug when you do this: the search dialog will have Contents, not File Name highlighted, and then the Name Contains line below that. So technically, it seems you're searching files whose contents contain a file name you specify. Clearly that doesn't make any sense. In any event, it seems Apple heard the complaints about easier filename searching. You can take the shortcut to this solution by pressing Shift-Command-F, or you can just type name:somefile or name:"some multiwo...
published on Wednesday, the 14. November 2007, macosxhints
10.4: Choose Exposé windows without clicking
If you activate the all windows view of exposé with your keyboard or mouse, you do not need to click on the window of your choice, but simply place your mouse on top of the window and press the keyboard or mouse shortcut again.Now I hear you ask, what is the use when surely it is just as convenient to click the window seen as you place your mouse on it anyway? And truthfully, when activating all windows from the keyboard, it isn't too useful. However, in case you have set up one of your mouse buttons to view all windows it becomes useful, because usually clicking the same button twice requires actually less effort than clicking two different buttons in sequence.[robg adds: This works in both 10.4 and 10.5.]
published on Tuesday, the 13. November 2007, macosxhints