Once again, it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW: the place where we try to answer all of your Mac and Apple-related questions. This week we're answering questions about taking apart a MacBook Pro, installing Leopard on a Mirror Door G4, watching movies streamed from a Mac media server and more.

As always, we welcome your suggestions for this week and questions for next time. Please leave your contributions in the comments for this post. When asking questions, please include which Mac and which version of OS X you're running. If you don't specify, we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac.

Jim asks:

Hey guys, Jim here. I am running OS X 10.5.6 on an Intel 2.4Ghz MacBook Pro (2007 model). Lately, this thing has been getting really, really hot. I've tried a lot of things, fresh OS X installs, laptop cooling pads, but none of it seems to work. A quick Google search told me that my laptop's innards might be clogged with dust, blocking its airflow. I'm thinking of opening it up and using some compressed air to clear out some of the dust. What do you guys think?

Opening up any computer can be sometimes lead to difficulty; opening up an Apple laptop even more so. Apple packs their computers into as small a casing as possible. Consequently, they are sometimes difficult to work on and may require a trained Apple tech.

That said, you can take the MacBook Pro apart successfully if you are very, very careful and make sure to keep good track of all the parts and pay close attention to what you are doing. Of course, Apple always recommends you seek help from an authorized repair facility but if you decide to take the plunge, the guides provided by iFixit are especially useful. Check out their MacBook Pro guides here to find your specific model.

I think one of the coolest features in Boxee, the XBMC-based media center software for Macs and Apple TVs, has been the relatively recent addition of Hulu and Netflix streaming. Now Understudy offers similar functionality for Front Row users.

The plugin adds an Understudy menu item to the Front Row interface. You can use it to add feeds from those two streaming services (e.g. most popular, etc.) or URLs from the clipboard. Frankly, if it were me I think I'd go whole hog with Boxee, but if you're happy with Front Row but want to add a little streaming content, Understudy is worth a look.

Understudy is a free download from Google Code.

[via Macworld]

The updates keep coming out of Cupertino this morning. iTunes, QuickTime and now Front Row. Version 2.1.6 adds iTunes 8.0 compatibility and "...bug fixes." This update is just over 13MB.

Short and sweet. Get it via Software Update now. We didn't find anything obviously new with this release, but let us know if you do.

In a recent Ask TUAW we addressed a question about getting divx video files to register properly as TV Shows in Front Row. In the discussion that followed one of our readers suggested VideoDrive as an easy way of accomplishing this. Basically, VideoDrive allows you to import your videos into iTunes without converting them, while still having full control over the metadata, including the tags that control placing videos either in the TV Shows or Movie categories. That way they will appear in the appropriate submenus in both Front Row and on the Apple TV. VideoDrive can also download cover art form Amazon as well as clean up file names and more. Keep in mind, however, that the appropriate codecs must already be installed to use this (check our Perian for this purpose).

VideoDrive is €12.99 (~$20) and a demo limited to 12 videos is available for download.

Just when you think Apple's update spree is over, they send you a Front Row update. This update, version 2.1.3, will provide you "bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility." This update coincides with tonight's iTunes and QuickTime updates.

You can get this update by opening up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update).

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Looks like today was the ultimate Apple software update day in addition to that other thing that also happened! In their last batch of updates, Apple updated Front Row for Leopard. Here's what Apple says about the update:

This Front Row update provides for bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility.

Please note, this update for Front Row requires iTunes 6.0.4 or later, and iPhoto 6.0.2. You can download this update by using Software Update, or by visiting the Apple downloads website.

The folks at Apple have been busy bees! New iMacs, new iLife, new iWork, and now a shiny new version of Front Row? That's right, fire up Software Update, kids, Front Row 1.3.1 is awaiting you. What does it do? Why, it has 'improved iPhoto compatibility.'

I like compatibility.

Thanks, Andrew K.

The Mac media center market is heating up lately, with a healthy collection of competitors to Apple's Front Row offering unique features and different UI experiences. This is great news for anyone who wants to turn an older Mac into a media center, or if Front Row simply doesn't float your boat. CenterStage, while still very much in alpha and under heavy development (they're always looking for more developers to lend a handy, by the way), is a promising open source media center that brings a strong style, some exclusive features and the promise of an impressive UI down the road.

For now, CenterStage covers the meat of what a media center needs to be pretty well: it can play movies, music and your photos; nothing too much to write home about there. CenterStage can already do interesting things like play TV shows recorded with EyeTV, but highlights from the planned features list, however, is what might peak more of your interest:

• Bonjour support is coming to allow access to the media of other machines on the network, which will include viewing photos and slideshows from other computers (take that, Apple TV)
• Subtitle support for playing movies
• Live TV viewing
• Live and scheduled TV recording
• Game support - playing CD-ROM, Flash and emulation games

For now, CenterStage has released a significant v0.6.2 update which the team calls the "most fully functional release to date." For the future, however, the CenterStage crew have also produced a slick video of what the interface will eventually become, with demonstrations of browsing the library and a few other choice features.

Like I said though, CenterStage is still very much an alpha product so if you give it a spin, definitely treat it as such. Still, the project seems to be progressing nicely and it will be great to see the day when it is a formidable competitor to the likes of Front Row and equinux's MediaCentral.

One of the 300 new Leopard features that Steve didn't mention is an updated version of Front Row. Specifically, the UI has been rebuilt to look just like that of the Apple TV, so there no more need to install your own skin.

From the limited copy on the webpage, we can assume that the functionality is the same, and only the look as changed. Perhaps this is just an extension of Leopard's new unified look.

Thanks, to everyone who sent this in!

One of the major things I miss about switching away from a Windows Mobile or even Sony Ericsson mobile phone is Salling Clicker - just about the best darn software I've ever seen for controlling your Mac with a mobile phone or PDA. Clicker offers a wide array of customizable controls with which you can enable your device to control everything from iTunes to Keynote, and even do things like pause music when a call comes in or lock your display if you walk too far away from your Mac. While I cross my fingers that Salling Software can create a BlackBerry client sooner than later, the rest of you can enjoy today's v3.5 update which ushers in a slew of new features and wider support for yet more devices.

At the top of the feature list is support for Front Row, potentially eliminating the need to pack an Apple Remote when venturing out. Other new features include: improved iTunes functionality with quick access to current playlists and more browsing options, support for Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian 9.x devices, much easier Wi-Fi connections for Symbian and WinMo devices, improved Keynote and PowerPoint functionality and much more (I should also note that Salling Clicker for Windows now supports Vista as well).

Check out the main product page of Salling Clicker for Mac if you're new to the possibilities of this excellent software, or take a look at the v3.5 press release to get a look at what's new for you seasoned clickers. A demo is of course available, while a license costs a mere $23.95.

You say your Intel Mac has Apple TV envy? It's understandable, as the Apple TV is suddenly everyone's favorite gadget. Boost its ego a bit with this trick for "skinning" Front Row to make it look more like Apple TV's UI.

It's quite simple, really, as it's just a matter of replacing Front Row's image files with those from the Apple TV. You can even edit the default menus to display the "Apple TV" title. You can download all of the files you'll need - as well as the instructions - here (remember: Back up your resource files first!). When you're finished, it will look like the image above.

All currently shipping Macs (with the exception of the Xserve) come with an Apple Remote free of charge! What a deal. As you know the tiny white Apple Remote lets you control Front Row, and when coupled with some third party apps lets you do even more.

Sik looked at the Apple Remote and thought, 'Sure that's cool, but what if you could store that remote in an ExpressCard slot, like those found on the MacBook Pro?' Hence the birth of Rex, a replacement for the Apple Remote that is capable of doing everything the Apple Remote does, and can be stowed in your MacBook Pro's ExpressCard slot.

The remote is $26.

[via Uncrate]

Following up on yesterday's "How to enable Front Row on the Mac Pro" post, Sam Obletz sent us a note alerting us to the fact that the instructions don't work if you're using a Bluetooth Mighty Mouse. Fortunately, Sam included instructions that do work with the Bluetooth Mighty Mouse. The steps trick the Bluetooth controller, receiver, and HID driver into thinking there is IR present.

First, read the original tip on on MacOSXHints.

The following steps are what you must do after adding the boolean value for M19-0a, M19-0b, and M19-1:

1. Click on the arrow to the left of M6.
2. Click on the first property that appears, whatever it is.
3. Press New Sibling, in the upper left of the window.
4. A new model string will be inserted and rename it to HIDRemoteControl.
5. Locate the new HIDRemoteControl line (it's in alphabetical order).
6. Change the type from String to Boolean.
7. Change the Boolean value to Yes.
8. Click on the arrow to the left of M6-events.
9. Click on the first property that appears, whatever it is.
10. Press New Sibling, in the upper left of the window.
11. A new model string will be inserted and rename it to HIDRemoteControl.
12. Locate the new HIDRemoteControl line (it's in alphabetical order).
13. Change the type from String to Boolean.
14. Change the Boolean value to Yes.

Thanks for the contribution, Sam!

MacOSXHints reader posted a tip about how to enable Front Row on your Mac Pro. This trick will get around the problem of no Apple IR remote being detected, which causes Front Row to fail to launch. Front Row is already installed on Mac Pros - it just doesn't work. It just sits there, teasing you...

All you have to do is edit a plist file and you'll be up and running. Which plist file to edit is dependant on which mouse you use, but if you don't use an Apple or Logitech mouse you might have to scramble a bit to get it working. For complete details, check out the tip on MacOSXHints. Of course you're still going to need some sort of remote to actually use Front Row, and there are a number of options available for that (a Salling Clicker-enabled cell phone, for example), but being able to activate it is a good first step.

I don't have a Mac Pro handy to test this with, so let us know if you get it working on yours!

UPDATE: We've added new instructions for users of the Bluetooth Mighty Mouse. See this post.