TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifTUAW - The Unofficial Apple Webloghttp://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Five little-known features in iOS 4http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/30/5-little-known-features-in-ios-4/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/30/5-little-known-features-in-ios-4/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/30/5-little-known-features-in-ios-4/#commentsWhenever word gets out about a potential software update, as it did for iOS 4 back in January (then called iPhone OS 4), you don't have to look far to find speculation about features or functionality the new version will include.

This is especially true for major revisions of the OS, which is ironic when you consider that developers get access to beta versions of the OS for testing purposes -- most smaller updates are kept under wraps right up until they are released.

When Apple does officially announce a major update, it usually is quick to list the big changes that the update brings as a way to persuade developers to get in and start updating their apps to make use of the new features. Quite often, everyone focuses their attention on these main features, and discussion moves to whether or not the new OS will support things like dashboards and today screens or whether or not Feature X will live up to expectations. This discussion usually continues well after the OS has been released, and it tends to overshadow many of the smaller changes that have been made throughout the OS.

Whether these changes are minor tweaks in how something works or the addition of new functionality that subtly enhances the users' experience, they often go unnoticed for one of two reasons: either they "just work" so well that the user doesn't need to know they exist, or they require the user to do something extra to enable or locate the feature. Since both of these involve the user not being aware of something, we think it's safe to assume that bringing these little-known features to light will help.

Read on for a list of five little-known features in iOS 4 that we think deserve more attention.

Continue reading Five little-known features in iOS 4

Five little-known features in iOS 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogFive little-known features in iOS 4 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuresiOS 4Ios4iPhoneiphone 101iphone 4Iphone101Iphone4new featuresNewFeaturestipsMichael JonesWed, 30 Jun 2010 13:15:00 ESTFixing iPhone portrait videos with iMoviehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/24/fixing-iphone-portrait-videos-with-imovie/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/24/fixing-iphone-portrait-videos-with-imovie/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/24/fixing-iphone-portrait-videos-with-imovie/#commentsThe iPhone 3GS was the first model to let users shoot video, and the iPhone 4 will even shoot in HD (720p). It's so convenient and easy that most people whip them out to shoot a few seconds of the ball game, a fun day at the park or what have you. In the thrill of an artistic moment, you might not always consider how the iPhone is held, and you realize later you shot the whole thing in portrait orientation, at odds with most of the video-playing world. Oops.

You can pop your clip into iMovie and it can widen to fill the screen's aspect, making your subject look like Shrek. Fortunately the fix is easy, and there are two methods.

The first involves iMovie '09. Once your movie is assembled, it's time to export. From the Export menu, select Export Movie. A new sheet appears. Select HD (1280x720). Yes, you'll get the black 'pillarbox' bands on either side of your movie, but it's better than than the disfigured heads.

The second method requires QuickTime Pro (QTP), though it's basically the same process. Open your video with QTP and again, export as HD.

Shooting in landscape orientation generally requires less steps to get a no-fuss video, but you're not in deep trouble if you shoot in portrait either.

Fixing iPhone portrait videos with iMovie originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogFixing iPhone portrait videos with iMovie originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>imovieiphoneiphone 3gsiphone 4Iphone3gsIphone4videoyoutubeDave CaoloThu, 24 Jun 2010 18:00:00 ESTMac 101: Checking in on CUPShttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/01/mac-101-checking-in-on-cups/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/01/mac-101-checking-in-on-cups/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/01/mac-101-checking-in-on-cups/#comments


More Mac 101, tips and tricks for new Mac users.

Ever wonder how your documents go from screen pixels to paper printouts? CUPS is the open source printing system that powers Mac OS X output, built for a variety of UNIX systems and now developed (or at least assimilated) by Apple. It provides print services by creating a representation of the page contents, and converting that data into formats that any number of printers understand.

OS X applications don't need to know the printer specifics. All they have to provide is a page description, which they pass along to the CUPS server. The server takes over from there and sends the document data to the active printer.

You can access your CUPS-based printers via a Web administration page, if the mood strikes you. It's easy; point your Web browser to http://127.0.0.1:631/printers. From there, you'll be able to check print queues, show completed print jobs, and more. You'll also be able to print a test page, pause the print queue, cancel all jobs, and set the default printer -- among other maintenance and administrative tasks. Most of the things you'd do there are also manageable via System Preferences, but it's nice to know what's underneath.

Mac 101: Checking in on CUPS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMac 101: Checking in on CUPS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>browsercupsmacMac 101mac-101Mac101open sourceOpenSourceprinttipErica SadunTue, 01 Jun 2010 20:00:00 ESTiPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those imageshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/13/iphone-backups-a-bit-slow-dump-those-images/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/13/iphone-backups-a-bit-slow-dump-those-images/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/13/iphone-backups-a-bit-slow-dump-those-images/#commentsIf your iPhone backups and restores are taking a ridiculously long time, Apple suggests you take a quick peek at your Camera Roll.

In a new Knowledge Base entry, Apple reminds users that photos are backed up each time you do a sync, even if there are no changes to the Camera Roll. The result can be a sluggish backup or restore.

If you already have the photos copied into iPhoto, you're good to erase them from the Camera Roll. Apple has some advice for getting the pictures back to your iPhone if you need to:

1. Ensure the iPhone is connected to your computer.
2. Open iTunes.
3. Select the iPhone in the Devices list in the left column.
4. Click the Photos tab.
5. Ensure that "Sync photos from" is enabled and choose the appropriate source from the adjacent pop-up menu. For example, if you imported your photos into an application (like iPhoto), you would select that application in the list. If you imported your photos to a folder (using Image Capture, Scanner and Camera Wizard, or Windows Photo Gallery), you would select Choose Folder and then the folder in question.
6. Click Apply or Sync.

The article details procedures for Macs, Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

There are other things that can slow down backups. I've seen them be very slow one day and quite snappy the next. Explanations can sometimes be hard to come by, but regular backups will keep the times down. Also, if you've added a lot of new apps, your first backup after adding them can be pretty long.

For more details on the issues with a full Camera Roll check the Knowledge Base article, and don't let those photos on your phone get out of control.

iPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those images originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogiPhone backups a bit slow? Dump those images originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Apple Knowledge BaseCamera RolliPhoneslow backupMel MartinSat, 13 Mar 2010 08:00:00 ESTMac OS X's Automator: I learned it by watching you!http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/04/mac-os-xs-automator-i-learned-it-by-watching-you/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/04/mac-os-xs-automator-i-learned-it-by-watching-you/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/04/mac-os-xs-automator-i-learned-it-by-watching-you/#comments

Mac OS X's Automator has the ability to perform specific tasks from its given set of actions. For example, with a Finder-based action, you can batch move copy, move or rename files that fit a certain criteria. Similarly, image-based actions allow you to batch edit images, be it resizing, rotating or changing their file type (i.e., from JPG to PNG or vice versa).

However, there may be situations that call for more unique tasks to be performed. And this is where Automator's "Watch Me Do" feature may come in handy. It performs keyboard- and mouse-based actions based on your movements and inputs during a Watch Me Do session.

To initiate a Watch Me Do session, launch Automator and choose a template (you can incorporate it into an existing Automator workflow, service or app as well). Then, click on the "Record" button in the upper right hand corner. A small grey translucent window with an Automator icon will now appear in the upper left hand corner indicating that your inputs and movements are being recorded; to stop recording, just click on the stop button.

The whole concept is similar to how you'd record a macro in Microsoft Excel. [Whoops, bad example, as macro recording isn't in the VBA-free Excel 2008 version. How about QuicKeys instead? -Ed.]

I've found Watch Me Do actions particularly handy, especially when I'm too lazy to figure out how to do something in AppleScript.

Watch Me Do requires that you enable access for assistive devices, so you'll need to hop on over to the "Seeing" pane within the Universal Access section of Mac OS X's System Preferences.

Yes, Automator really can learn by watching you.

Mac OS X's Automator: I learned it by watching you! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogMac OS X's Automator: I learned it by watching you! originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>automatorExcelMac OS XMacOsXmacroserviceswatch me doWatchMeDoworkflowSang TangThu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 ESTDirectly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TVhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/26/directly-connecting-and-syncing-content-between-your-mac-and-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/26/directly-connecting-and-syncing-content-between-your-mac-and-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/26/directly-connecting-and-syncing-content-between-your-mac-and-app/#comments

After many years together, my Linksys WRT54G and I have parted ways. In its place, I'm now using an 802.11g-based Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes that was passed along to me. Besides not wanting to fork out the extra beans (c'mon, who here isn't saving up money for an iPad) for a shiny new 802.11n Airport Express, the devices living in my current wireless ecosystem are more g-leaning. That, and I don't really need the speed of 802.11n or the ethernet cable connection afforded to me by the WRT54G.

Or so I thought.

Continue reading Directly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV

Directly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogDirectly connecting and syncing content between your Mac and Apple TV originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AirPort ExpressAirportExpressApple TVAppleTvDirect ConnectDirectConnectGigabit EthernetGigabitEthernetsyncSang TangFri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 ESTTerminal Tips: Generate random filenames for digital photo frame imageshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/25/terminal-tips-generate-random-filenames-for-digital-photo-frame/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/25/terminal-tips-generate-random-filenames-for-digital-photo-frame/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/25/terminal-tips-generate-random-filenames-for-digital-photo-frame/#commentsIt's not at all unlikely that you or a relative have received a digital photo frame as some sort of gift. The concept is great, one frame on your mantle, many pictures on display. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to enter the photo frame market -- at least until the iPad is released, that is. In the interim, we are stuck dealing with photo frames that look good but do not always function as we expect.

One example of a photo frame feature gap is the lack of ability to "shuffle" photos so that they can be displayed in a random order. While sitting at my grandma's house for hours on end, it quickly became a personal challenge to try and successfully guess the next photo that would appear.

Luckily, the screencast junkies over at Murphy Mac have found a somewhat simple solution to this conundrum. The problem is the result of frames using the all-too-common alphabetical sorting method when showing photos. While this is useful for organization, it is less helpful for the purposes of the photo frame. The answer lies in assigning totally random filenames to your digital photos. As the title indicates, this is a Terminal.app-based tip so you'll have to get your hands a little dirty with this one.

The process is something that could take a long time, especially when you consider that many photo libraries have thousands of images. However, through the power of Terminal and the use of a for-loop, it is possible to randomly rename an entire folder of images with one fell swoop.

To begin, you will need to place all of your images in a single folder. We here at the TUAW HQ cannot recommend strongly enough using copied image files and triple-checking your backups prior to moving forward. Open up Terminal.app and use cd to navigate to the new directory where you placed your image copies (now might be a good time to check your backups a fourth time). When done, type the following command and then press return.

for i in *.jpg; do mv $i $RANDOM.jpg; done
Assuming all of your photos are jpegs and located in same directory, then after some whizzbangery you will have a folder filled with very strangely-named images. Copy these files to your photo frame and you now have a fully randomized photo slideshow. Feel free repeat as often as your guests (or your OCD) require. Got any other handy Terminal tips? Feel free to share them in the comments!

Terminal Tips: Generate random filenames for digital photo frame images originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTerminal Tips: Generate random filenames for digital photo frame images originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>photosshuffleterminalterminal tipsTerminalTipsAron TrimbleThu, 25 Feb 2010 16:00:00 ESTEliminate the blue outer glow in Exposéhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/24/eliminate-the-blue-outer-glow-in-expose/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/24/eliminate-the-blue-outer-glow-in-expose/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/24/eliminate-the-blue-outer-glow-in-expose/#commentsOne of the more questionable changes that was introduced in 10.6 Snow Leopard was a soft, blue glow that appears around application windows when using Exposé. Previously, in 10.5 Leopard, the entire Window was highlighted blue; now, however, the Exposé window previews are able to update their contents on the fly and obfuscating them with a blue highlight negatively affects the user experience.

Unfortunately, the blue glow that Apple's designers have chosen to overcome this gap is somewhat garish and just plain lacking in style. In response, creativebits has posted a tip for changing that glow into something a little more eye-catching and a little less flashy.

The process is fairly simple and involves replacing two PNG image files within the Dock application. Creativebits has the full explanation as well as a sample set of replacement files that work pretty well and look very tasteful. Follow the break for a preview of the tip in action and decide for yourself whether the difference is worth the effort.

Continue reading Eliminate the blue outer glow in Exposé

Eliminate the blue outer glow in Exposé originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogEliminate the blue outer glow in Exposé originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>exposehow-totipstricksAron TrimbleWed, 24 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST5 tips for switchershttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/5-tips-for-switchers/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/5-tips-for-switchers/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/23/5-tips-for-switchers/#comments

Every now and then I'll have an "I never knew about that" moment as I come across a setting or nuance in Mac OS X that I never realized existed. Take, for instance, character viewer, which allows you to display a variety of characters in your document. Whether you're a switcher or seasoned Mac veteran, here are five tips that could help improve your Mac experience.

Continue reading 5 tips for switchers

5 tips for switchers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog5 tips for switchers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Mac OS XMacOsXmenu barmenu bar itemsMenuBarMenuBarItemsright-clickscroll arrowsScrollArrowssoundSwitcherSang TangTue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:00 ESTRob Griffiths leaves Mac OS X Hintshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/rob-griffiths-leaves-mac-os-x-hints/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/rob-griffiths-leaves-mac-os-x-hints/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/22/rob-griffiths-leaves-mac-os-x-hints/#comments I have to admit that I don't always use them, but I do always enjoy reading the hints over at Mac OS X Hints -- there probably isn't a more eclectic or helpful mix of random hints about how to use your Mac or iPhone available on the Internet. So I was saddened to read today that editor Rob Griffiths (who always adds in his confirmations and other testing on the various hints posted) is leaving the editor's position. He's moving on to join Peter Maurer at Many Tricks, where he'll handle the business aspects of the company. He mentions that they're working on "some good stuff in the pipeline, especially for the upcoming iPad."

As for Mac OS X Hints, the site is owned by Macworld, so it will continue to run under the oversight of a new editor, who will have the benefit of Griffiths around for training as long as necessary. But it will be a little bit of a disappointment to not see the little "robg" notes on the hints in the future. Good luck to Rob on his next venture, and here's hoping his successor keeps the site up as an endless fount of interesting tips and tidbits about all of these Apple products we use.

Rob Griffiths leaves Mac OS X Hints originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogRob Griffiths leaves Mac OS X Hints originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>editorleavingmac os x hintsMacOsXHintsmacworldmany tricksManyTrickspeter mauerPeterMauerrob griffithsRobGriffithsMike SchrammMon, 22 Feb 2010 17:30:00 ESTiPhone 101: How to force quit an unresponsive apphttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/iphone-101-how-to-force-quit-an-unresponsive-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/iphone-101-how-to-force-quit-an-unresponsive-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/02/11/iphone-101-how-to-force-quit-an-unresponsive-app/#commentsWe here at the TUAW headquarters rely pretty heavily on our iPhones when we're away from our desks. This is especially true for the lucky ones on the floor at Macworld 2010. Sometimes however, our little pocket computers go haywire and refuse to respond to our commands.

To force quit an unresponsive app all you have to do is press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until you see the red slider. Normally, this is what you would do to power down your iPhone or iPod touch. In this case however, when the slider appears, release the sleep/wake button and then press and hold the Home button. If it works correctly, your iPhone will forcefully quit the unresponsive app and return you to your home screen.

I have found this especially useful on the rare occasion that Mail begins to choke on my multi-thousand message inbox. Sometimes this simple kick in the pants is all that is needed and is a lot quicker than a hard reboot followed by the waiting required during boot up.

iPhone 101: How to force quit an unresponsive app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogiPhone 101: How to force quit an unresponsive app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appiphoneiphone 101iphone 3giphone 3gsIphone101Iphone3gIphone3gsipod touchIpodTouchunresponsiveAron TrimbleThu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:00 ESTHow to "clean install" Snow Leopardhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/30/how-to-clean-install-snow-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/30/how-to-clean-install-snow-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/30/how-to-clean-install-snow-leopard/#commentsA friend's MacBook had slowed down to a snail's pace. Despite looking everywhere for the issue, streamlining everything I could, and yelling at it, it failed to accelerate to usable speed. So I recommended we start from scratch and build it back up with only the things she was using, free of all the other downloads and aborted installs of various software she never used or cared about. It also housed a prior system, and a PC migration from a few years back. All told, the computer was a bloated, duplicated whale of files and applications for what was essentially a light-load writer's computer.

So I backed up the essential parts of her system using Time Machine: documents (including her novel and decades of prior writing, published and unpublished), ten years of family photographs, a 41GB iTunes library, among other things, and then....backed it up again elsewhere, outside of Time Machine.

And again.

And just for good measure, once more time, to yet another drive. I wasn't going to be the (ex-)friend who lost her novel.

What I wanted to do was do the ol' "erase and install" that prior system software discs allowed you to do. But clicking around Snow Leopard left no obvious method for this. But instead of booting Snow Leopard while inside of Mac OS X, if you just directly reboot the computer off the disc itself (holding down the "c" button after the system chime, letting go when you see the Apple logo) you get a few more options. Once you've gone into the installer program, you'll see "Utilities" at the top, and if you select Disc Utility, you can see your hard drive. If you click on "erase" (like I did, with one hand over my eyes) you can wipe the drive clean with various security options, and then you can do a fresh install of Snow Leopard on your computer on a pristine hard drive.

Once you've done that, you can either transfer your files back in directly, or use the installer program's built-in migration utility to restore any or all files from Time Machine.

And now? The world awaits the Next Great American Novel, untragically unlost by yours truly.

How to "clean install" Snow Leopard originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogHow to "clean install" Snow Leopard originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>macbookreinstall osReinstallOsslow computerSlowComputersnow leopardSnowLeopardLauren HirschSat, 30 Jan 2010 14:30:00 ESTA DIY iPhone car mount for just $2http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/23/a-diy-iphone-car-mount-for-just-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/23/a-diy-iphone-car-mount-for-just-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/23/a-diy-iphone-car-mount-for-just-2/#commentsSo, like me, you've been doing a lot of driving around with your iPhone lately, and you've come to the conclusion that just having it sit next to you on the seat isn't the best way to do things. You need an in-car mounted dock, but you're not ready to shell out a bunch of money for something with "premium" in the title. Solution? Follow these directions and make your own. For just a couple of bucks in materials, you can build what looks like a pretty worthwhile way to mount your iPhone in the car.

It's basically a little PVC pipe with some foam to hold it in place on whatever extra ridges or slots you might have free in your dashboard, and some plastic coated wire at the top to hold your phone for you. Hey, you get what you pay for -- it won't pair with your iPhone, and any charging it provides will have to come from an external charging cable that you buy. But if you just want something to keep your iPhone handy and up off of the seat next to you -- or out of the cupholder, I do that one a lot, too -- this weekend project might just do the trick.

[via Lifehacker]

A DIY iPhone car mount for just $2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogA DIY iPhone car mount for just $2 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>carcheapcupholderdiydockdrivingiphonemountmountedpipepvcMike SchrammSat, 23 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESTHow to present like Steve Jobshttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/17/how-to-present-like-steve-jobs/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/17/how-to-present-like-steve-jobs/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/17/how-to-present-like-steve-jobs/#commentsA commonly cited statistic, repeated on day one of just about every communications course I've taken, is that people are more afraid of speaking or presenting in public than they are of dying. I've never been able to find an official source for this statistic, but it's indisputable that most people recoil in terror at the thought of giving a presentation, whether it's to an audience of five or five thousand.

Steve Jobs obviously does not share this phobia. His stage persona during keynote presentations has been carefully crafted to convey to audiences his enthusiasm for whatever it is he's discussing that day. Whether you call it the "reality distortion field" or just good public speaking ability, Jobs's skills as a speaker are seemingly unmatched in the realm of CEO presenters.

Carmine Gallo is one of many communications experts who's scrutinized Jobs's presenting skills; in fact, he has literally written the book on the Apple CEO's style, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, which we reviewed last October. Rather than shell out for the whole book, though, you can get a nice synopsis of the key aspects of Steve Jobs's presentation style from Gallo himself in the YouTube video below:

Continue reading How to present like Steve Jobs

How to present like Steve Jobs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogHow to present like Steve Jobs originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>KeynotePublic speakingSteve JobsSteveJobsChris RawsonSun, 17 Jan 2010 14:30:00 ESTExperiencing the iChat woes? Try the Connection Doctorhttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/15/experiencing-the-ichat-woes-try-the-connection-doctor/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/15/experiencing-the-ichat-woes-try-the-connection-doctor/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/15/experiencing-the-ichat-woes-try-the-connection-doctor/#comments

Now in its fifth iteration, iChat has gained a host of features as it has matured. However, the addition of new features has brought on new complexities and requirements, including both hardware and bandwidth issues. For instance, at the time of its release, iChat 3 users needed a minimum of a Dual 1 GHz G4 and a 384 Kbps Internet connection to initiate a four-way video conference on iChat 3. Photobooth and Backdrop effects, which came along in iChat 4, call for a minimum an Intel Core Duo processor. And then, of course, one must climb the proverbial firewall.

Fortunately, there's iChat's Connection Doctor. Besides telling you what your system is capable of (for example, screen sharing, multiperson video conferences and video recording) and the audio and video quality of your video chat (resolution and frame rate), the Connection Doctor can also tell you if networking issues (i.e., a firewall or port issue) are the source of your video conferencing maladies. To launch iChat's Connection Doctor, click on "Video" on iChat's menu and then select "Connection Doctor." It's just what the doctor ordered.

Experiencing the iChat woes? Try the Connection Doctor originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogExperiencing the iChat woes? Try the Connection Doctor originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bandwidthconnection-doctorfirewalliChatminimum-system-requirementsscreen sharingScreenSharingtipsSang TangFri, 15 Jan 2010 14:00:00 ESTUsing Safari's Activity window to download mediahttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/using-safaris-activity-window-to-download-media/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/using-safaris-activity-window-to-download-media/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/using-safaris-activity-window-to-download-media/#comments

Although Firefox can be dressed up with a host of extensions, many of which are great, most of the time I like my browser to be a plain Jane. That's why I prefer using Safari most of the time. Well this, and the fact that I can't stand the jerky scrolling of Firefox (when using a mouse scroll ball) compared to Safari on the Mac.

One of the neat features in Safari is its "Activity" window, which you can use to examine each element of a webpage -- be it an image, audio file, or video file. To access it within Safari, click on "Window" and select "Activity." Whatever opinion you may have of Flash, much of the content on the web -- both audio and video -- plays through a Flash-based media player. As the iPhone doesn't support Flash (except sorta kinda), the Activity Window provides a means to download otherwise unplayable content onto your computer, which you can then transfer to your iPhone. Opening an element (say an MPEG-4 video) listed in the Activity Window is as simple as double-clicking it. Alternatively, you can also copy the URL of the element and paste it somewhere to use in another app.

Using Safari's Activity window to download media originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogUsing Safari's Activity window to download media originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>activity windowActivityWindowdownloadflashmediasafariSang TangThu, 14 Jan 2010 12:00:00 ESTTwo super simple DIY hacks for the iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/two-super-simple-diy-hacks-for-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/two-super-simple-diy-hacks-for-the-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/14/two-super-simple-diy-hacks-for-the-iphone/#comments I've been reading the Unplggd blog from Apartment Therapy a lot lately, because I recently moved into a new place and am trying to fill it up with cool stuff. And someone over there must be an iPhone fan, because I've seen not one but two great and simple tricks for the iPhone there recently. The first is the most billiant thing I've ever seen -- if you happen to be listening to music or a conference call through the speaker on your iPhone and need it a little louder, you can just find a pint-size glass, put the iPhone in there, and voila, simple iPhone echo chamber. I'm surprised at both how easy this is and how well it works, but it does. Very impressive.

Second is a little more obvious -- if you're using an iPhone to read off a recipe in the kitchen, with your hands messy and wet, you can put it in a baggie like I do, or you can CryoVac it, if you happen to have one of those sitting around. Either way, the capacitive touchscreen still works through a thin layer of plastic, and your iPhone will live to see another day.

Ok, so the second tip is not quite as great as the first one. But a pint glass! Trying to listen to all of those boring conference calls with my iPhone's speaker will never be the same again!

Two super simple DIY hacks for the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTwo super simple DIY hacks for the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cryovacecho-chambergeniusiphonekitchenrecipesimplespeakerunpluggdMike SchrammThu, 14 Jan 2010 09:30:00 ESTTUAW Tip: Veency remote controls your iPhone from your Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/12/tuaw-tip-veency-remote-controls-your-iphone-from-your-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/12/tuaw-tip-veency-remote-controls-your-iphone-from-your-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/12/tuaw-tip-veency-remote-controls-your-iphone-from-your-mac/#commentsReader Kevin C. sent us a tip the other day -- he recently got a Bose SoundDock II, which is a nice little speaker dock, as a Christmas gift, and he wants to know: with his iPhone sitting all the way across the room, is there any way he can control the iPhone from his Mac? Obviously there are lots of ways to control your Mac with your iPhone, from Apple's official Remote app to multiple VNC programs on the App Store. But in this case, we want to go the other way: control your iPhone's iPod app with a Mac.

Turns out there isn't a way to do it -- unless you jailbreak your iPhone. Using Veency, a jailbreak app that Erica covered about a year or so ago, you can head into your iPhone from your Mac and do anything you want, from changing tracks in iTunes to even sending text messages. Here's an older how-to on getting it working.

Unfortunately, other than that (according to our research -- commenters feel free to jump in, of course), you're out of luck -- Apple is fine with sending commands from the iPhone to the Mac, but not the other way around. Maybe Bose needs to come up with a way for you to stream music over Bluetooth to their speakers so you can keep your iPhone with you.

Update: Our commenters come through as always: Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil will supposedly send audio from your Mac out to your iPhone, and while I haven't tried it myself, we're told that the Bose dock will then play that audio for you. So instead of playing sound on your iPhone, you can just send it music from the Mac and control things that way. And Jeff points out that Belkin makes a Bluetooth dongle, so you can stream music that way as well (and just carry your iPhone with you). So there's a few solutions to try.

TUAW Tip: Veency remote controls your iPhone from your Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTUAW Tip: Veency remote controls your iPhone from your Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>applebosecontrolgiftiphonemacmusicremote-controlsounddockstreamingtiptuaw-tipveencyMike SchrammTue, 12 Jan 2010 10:30:00 ESTTUAW Tip: Get your animated slideshows to MobileMehttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/tuaw-tip-get-your-animated-slideshows-to-mobileme/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/tuaw-tip-get-your-animated-slideshows-to-mobileme/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/tuaw-tip-get-your-animated-slideshows-to-mobileme/#commentsFor all the things Apple does right, there are some strange decisions in the integration of iPhoto and MobileMe. iPhoto has a wonderful way to create animated slideshows with music and professional looking transitions and you can look at them all day on your Mac, or send them to your iPhone or AppleTV. But things get ugly when you want to post them on the web for family and friends using MobileMe. It's baffling, but there is no direct way to upload an animation you've created to MobileMe, even though you can easily send stills or even iMovie videos to the web.

Well, it can be done, but it's a non-intuitive work around.

First, create your slide show in an iPhoto folder the usual way. Then hit the "Export" button on the lower right of the iPhoto screen. From there, you can determine the size of the QuickTime movie you want to make. If it's for the web, I'd suggest the large size.

The movie will render, and then be placed in your iPhoto Slideshows folder inside the Pictures folder. From there, you have a couple of options, none of which are well documented: One way is to open your newly created movie in the latest version of QuickTime. Then from the Share menu, select "MobileMe gallery" from the options presented (you'll get the screen you can see in the thumbnail above). Another way to go is to is to import the movie into iMovie first, and then export it out to MobileMe from there. You can also drag the movie back into iPhoto (and yes, I know this is nutty) and then click the MobileMe icon to upload it there.

Why can't you do this directly from iPhoto? Search me. It should be there -- maybe we'll see it in the app's next version. If you have another method to do this let us know.

TUAW Tip: Get your animated slideshows to MobileMe originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogTUAW Tip: Get your animated slideshows to MobileMe originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>animationexportimovieiPhotoMobileMemoviequicktimeshareSlideshowstipstuawtuaw tiptuaw tipsTuawTipTuawTipsMel MartinFri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:00 ESTBurglars going after LA Apple Store customershttp://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/burglars-going-after-la-apple-store-customers/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/burglars-going-after-la-apple-store-customers/http://www.tuaw.com/2010/01/08/burglars-going-after-la-apple-store-customers/#comments I better be careful next time I walk out of my Apple Store here in Santa Monica -- apparently burglars are targeting Apple Store customers here in the Los Angeles area. Over 100 customers have apparently been targeted after leaving the store and keeping a computer or other purchase in their car. The thieves wait for customers to walk away from Apple Store bags in their car, either at home or at another store, and then they break in and take them. For some reason, no computers have yet been returned, either, which makes cops think that they're possibly being "shipped out of the country or fenced right away." But of course that would require an organized ring, and police aren't even sure these are all related yet.

How to prevent this from happening to you? Don't leave an expensive computer unattended in your car (duh), or just make the Apple Store the last stop on your list. I've made a few pricey purchases while driving around out here (most recently, I picked up a PS3), and no matter what the neighborhood, I didn't feel safe about leaving it unattended. Even when I'm just carrying my iPod around, I always lock it out of sight in the glovebox before parking the car. As with all of these types of situations, a little bit of care goes a long way.

Burglars going after LA Apple Store customers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW - The Unofficial Apple WeblogBurglars going after LA Apple Store customers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>apple-storeburglarycarlos-angelespurchasesecurityshoppingstolentheftstheivesyearMike SchrammFri, 08 Jan 2010 15:45:00 EST