Filed under: Ask TUAW
Ask TUAW: iPhone alerts, Migration Assistant, annoying coworkers and more
Welcome to this week's edition of Ask TUAW. As you probably know from last week's column, Mat Lu, your favorite TUAW answer-man, is on vacation and this week I'm here to try and fill his very large shoes. We'll see how that goes but I feel optimistic.Remember, if you want to ask us a question here at Ask TUAW, just post it in the comments of this post and we'll try to get it answered for you next week. Or, maybe one of your fellow commenters will give you the answer before that. Ok, now that that's done, let's get to this week's questions.
Brent wants to know
Anyone know if there's a way to get the iPhone to keep alerting you that you have a new voicemail/text msg?
Unfortunately, that feature isn't as yet implemented on the device. So, while we wait for the inevitable software updates, you're going to have to live with the iPhone going dark on you. Although, if it really bothers you, you could set the iPhone to not sleep at all by turning off the auto-lock feature -- which can be found under Settings> General > Auto-Lock. Although, if you do that, you run the risk of accidentally pushing buttons you don't want to push or even calling foreign countries.
Maggie asks
I have a macbook and I accidentally downloaded an firmware update that I don't need (the superdrive update 2.1 to be exact). Now every time I turn on my computer I get a message saying that no updatable devices were found, and when I close it my DVD player opens. It's not the end of the world, but it is a bit annoying. Do you know how to delete the update?
Well Maggie, you're not alone. Several other people have reported this problem. It appears that, although the update keeps telling you that you don't have any devices to update, the update may actually have already taken place and the message you keep getting is an error. Or, the update really isn't finding a drive to update. Either way, the message is annoying but you should be able to stop it. To do this, go to your User Account in System Prefs and see if the Updater Application has listed itself in your Login Items. If so, remove it and see if the message goes away.
Josh is curious about
Can you use Migration Assistant from a backup on an external HDD? Or does the migration have to come from a "real" computer? I am thinking that migration assistant requires firewire target mode on the mac, is this the same as using an actual firewire HDD?
The short answer is yes -- provided the external drive in question was made using one of the "cloning" tools such as SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner so it is a bootable OSX drive. If it it, its the same as migrating from another Mac. Just boot from your external Hard Drive and run the Migration Assistant to migrate from your "Mac" (the external HDD) to your new Mac (the computer you want to restore to). It should work perfectly. Although, Migration Assistant isn't a substitute for a real backup solution. So, if you don't have one in place now, you should definitely consider setting one up.
Pete ponders
My iTunes library (about 200 Gb) is on my iMac which is not always switched on. As this is my main computer I would like to keep it here. However, my Mac Mini *is* always on and sometimes it would be more convenient to stream music from there. Is there any way of keeping an exact mirror on the Mini that automatically updates when I change the library on the iMac?
An option you could try is to use a File and Folder sync program such as ChronoSync to synchronize your iTunes Music Folders on each Mac. That way, when you turn on your iMac, it would Sync with your Mac Mini automatically over your network. If you are syncing a lot of large files the process could take quite some time -- especially the first time you do it. However, subsequent syncs should take less time if you've only made minor changes or additions to your library.
Keith is wondering
What is a good video screen capture program? Is there a good one for free?
At the moment I don't know of any good free ones. Perhaps the TUAW readers can lend a hand on that one? If you don't mind paying a little cash to support software developers, there are a few choices out there for you. As Aaron mentioned last week, iShowU is a good choice at only twenty bucks. Some other ones you could check out include Screen Record, Screen Mimic, and, of course, Snapz Pro X -- the big boy on the block in both features and cost. Each has their strengths and weaknesses but all offer a demo version to try out so find the one that fits what you want to do and your budget.
Finally, Aaron is a bit frustrated and wants to know
I would like to know the best way to get coworkers to stop drinking your beverages from a communal refrigerator. I'm on the verge of installing a hidden camera. ;)
It certainly is annoying when others don't respect your stuff. Over the years, I've tried many different methods to get people to learn how to play well with others. You could try polite notes, labels, a sternly worded memo or email, or perhaps even staking out the fridge to see who's pilfering your beverages. And, of course, you could try a more high-tech approach and install a video camera to catch the thieves in the act.
However, if all of that fails and people are still taking your stuff, you could also try a method of persuasion I've occasionally found useful: a baseball bat. Start cracking a few skulls and people will stop messing with your stuff. Works every time.
The answers and information provided here are for your personal entertainment. Neither TUAW nor Weblogs, Inc. makes any guarantee that the answers in Ask TUAW are technically accurate. Use the suggestions and software tools listed here at your own risk (especially the part about cracking skulls with a bat).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jim C said 8:08AM on 7-11-2007
For Aaron: If you're using resealable bottles, try this. Go buy some ipecac syrup or oil. Put maybe one tablespoon of this in your beverage. Then take note of the person that projectile vomits ;)
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Evinyatar said 8:19AM on 7-11-2007
For Aaron: put two bottles in the fridge, and leave a note saying "one of these is tainted, the other is not. are you feeling lucky?"
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jason mark said 8:26AM on 7-11-2007
The system screen capture tools are really great:
Command - Shift - 3 = whole screen
Command - Shift - 4 = Crosshairs
Command - Shift - SPACE - 5 = Camera - click on the WINDOW you want to take a screen shot of.
NOTES:
* make sure caps lock is off
* there is an application in OSX called "Grab" that has all of these in a menu, which may make it easier for some people.
* adding "Control" to any of the key combos will take the screenshot to CLIPBOARD instead of to the desktop
* you can change the default format of screenshots using tinker tools (it's a "Hidden" system pref). You can choose from Tiff, PDF, PNG, etc. OR you can change the default filetype of screenshots using the terminal with these two commands:
defaults write com.apple.screencapture type pdf
killall SystemUIServer
jason
www.gravityswitch.com
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Jamie Phelps said 8:31AM on 7-11-2007
For Pete, it is also worth noting that the solution provided does not update your Mini's iTunes library; it just synchs the audio files across. If you add something to your library on the iMac, the file will get synched across but your iTunes library file on the Mac Mini won't know anything about it. Something to consider. Seems like I remember there being a script on dougscripts.com that manages the importing and exporting of multiple iTunes libraries.
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Bill said 1:53PM on 7-11-2007
To follow-up on Jason's post on the screencap shortcuts (which are excellent, I used them all the time before Skitch came along):
These functions are disabled when you're running Apple's DVD Player app (for legal reasons I once saw but have since forgotten). If you want to make screencaps of a DVD, load it up through VLC player, and use those shortcuts then.
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escargot said 9:37AM on 7-11-2007
This program is designed to sync iTunes libraries: http://www.supersync.com/index.php
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Stephen said 9:10AM on 7-11-2007
Question for next week:
What are Apple doing to keep iTunes competitive and feature rich as the XBox marketplace for example? I have an Apple TV and an iMac and am getting a little frustrated that XBox users can now rent or buy in HD movies from all the major labels - isn't this what the Apple TV and iTunes should be offering us? After all - what I'm asking to do is spend more money!
Also, in the same theme as YouTube on Apple TV, wouldn't it be useful if I could browse and show photos on my PicasaWeb or Flickr accounts, directly through my Apple TV? I think it would be a great extension to the current photo options.
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Benjamin said 9:29AM on 7-11-2007
Aaron: http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/
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keith said 8:06PM on 7-11-2007
@ pete
I have stored my itunes music on an external drive attached to airport router. I have pointed the itunes library on my macbook and iMac to this location. I use chronosync to keep the library files synced. This seems to work pretty good.
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Kris Jones said 10:11AM on 7-11-2007
If Josh has SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner, which are ideal for making backups to external hard drives, why would he need to the Migration Assistant? Both SuperDuper and CCC can be used to clone, and to make incremental backups either of a whole volume, individual user accounts or folders within such accounts. There is no need to use Migration Assistant at all.
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ben Murray said 10:38AM on 7-11-2007
Question for next time:
What with all this wireless fun of the iPhone i can't seem to find anywhere whether a file - in particular song files - can be sent wirelessly from user to user? Given the ham fisted, DRM mockery of what the Zune does would be interesting to know if there's anything comparable on the iPhone.
I thank you.
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Reuven said 10:54AM on 7-11-2007
I have a Macbook with OSX 10.4 and a Nokia 6131 cell phone, and I recently discovered the wonders of their Bluetooth interaction.
I like using Quicksilver to make calls through the phone, but I need Address Book for SMSes and on-screen caller ID.
However, once one of these apps has snagged the Bluetooth connection, the other can't seem to access it.
Is there some way to get Quicksilver and Address Book to share the Bluetooth connection through the OS?
Thanks,
Reuven
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Jon Stieglitz said 11:05AM on 7-11-2007
Is there a way to get the icons of mountable drives, like iPods or external harddrives, to show up in the same spot of the desktop every time?
(I thought i had seen someone ask this before but can't find the post. If you know where it is please point me to it.)
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Jonathan said 11:08AM on 7-11-2007
how about copernicus for video screen capturing?
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Justin said 11:10AM on 7-11-2007
@ Jamie "For Pete, it is also worth noting that the solution provided does not update your Mini's iTunes library..."
If the program (which I must say I have never used) synchronizes the iTunes folder of both computers then it WOULD in fact update not just the music files but the library as well. When it syncs wouldn't it add the new songs to the folder and replace the Mac mini's database files with the database files from the iMac, hence updating the library?
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jadam said 12:48PM on 7-11-2007
I have a similar question about iTunes libraries. Let's say I have two Macs (MacBook and Mac mini) and I want to sync only the music from the MB to the mini. I have video podcasts/TV shows/movies on the mini because it syncs to the AppleTV and I have audio podcasts and music only on the MB to save space. Anyone know how to keep them synched AND keep the metadata the same (rating/date added/etc)?
In the past I have tried Martian SlingShot which would put multiple copies of the same file in the mini's library or crash, depending on the phase of the moon, and also exporting a smart playlist containing all the music to XML, modifying the path and importing it to the mini. That works somewhat but I don't like having to delete all the music and import for several hours. Anyone know of a better way?
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//jonathan said 1:16PM on 7-11-2007
>small argh<
question for next time:
how do you turn off spell checking system wide? [i'm sure there must be a 'true' to change to a 'false' in a plist somewhere]. if this isn't possible, is it possible on a app-by-app basis? I'm tired of launching some apps that, whatever i change their options too, when relaunched spell check without asking...
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lynol said 3:39PM on 7-11-2007
I wrote to you and one of your sibling sites about this minor irritation some time ago, but with no response. Briefly, I am in the habit of tapping the space bar to scroll when browsing. When I do it here, nothing happens. I then mutter a windows environment curse as I remember that you assume the first thing I want to do on your site is search, and that I must grab the mouse and click outside the search box. Possibly I am the odd one not wanting to immediately search, but I suspect not.
Am I?
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Dewey said 3:40PM on 7-11-2007
I have a question for next weeks Ask TUAW. Is it possible to install windows using bootcamp from an external cd optical drive? The one in my macbook has decided to no longer work and my warranty is up on it, so I went and got an external. But when running the bootcamp installer to set it up, the reset comes and nothing happens, just reboots and displays a white screen. Am I doing something wrong or is it just not possible? Thanks.
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josh said 9:04PM on 7-11-2007
@ Kris Jones
The rest of my question about migrating from a back-up was in response to a previous question about upgrading the OS tiger > leopard. I was asking if migrating was possible if doing a clean install of the OS, and then importing all my old stuff from back-up using the assistant...
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