PreferencePane posts

Filed under: OS, Software, Odds and ends

Secrets preference panel updated for Snow Leopard

by TJ Luoma (RSS feed) on Nov 5th, 2009

From time to time we have shared hidden settings in applications which can be used to "tweak" an app's behavior, such as forcing Snow Leopard's dictionary to reuse the same window or make the print dialog expanded by default. These settings are normally changed using the Terminal.app which can be daunting to some.

Secrets is a (free!) preference panel which has collected a bunch of these settings and made changing them as simple as checking a box or choosing from a drop-down panel of possible choices. It includes settings for about 40 different applications, from Apple applications such as Mail, iCal, iChat, Finder, Front Row, Keynote, DVD Player (and more) to third-party applications including Adium, Audio Hijack Pro, BBedit, EyeTV, VMware Fusion, and TextMate (just to name a few). Some applications have a lot of hidden settings, and some have only one or two.

If you see a setting but don't know what it does, click it and Secrets will show a brief explanation (these are also available on the Secrets website, but they are easier to read in the preference panel). If you change a setting which requires you to restart the application, Secrets will tell you, and even give you a "Quit This" button. (It's usually best to make these changes when the app isn't running.)

Unfortunately at least one of the secret settings from 10.5 doesn't seem to work in 10.6. That is, the setting to turn HelpViewer into a regular (instead of floating) window. There may be others.

I'm off to explore and see what new goodies Alcor (the developer of Secrets, who you may also know as the creator of Quicksilver) has uncovered.

Thanks to the recently-revived Hawk Wings site for bringing this to my attention. If you use Apple's Mail.app, Hawk Wings is a great site for tips and information.

Update: We seem to have taken down the Secrets website (oops!) but you can download the preference panel from a mirror (zip) (166kb).

Tags: defaults, os, os x, OsX, PreferencePane, Secrets, system

Filed under: OS, Mac 101

Mac 101: Change your desktop picture

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Aug 6th, 2009

Welcome back to Mac 101, our series of posts aimed at novice Mac users and veterans who like the occasional refresher.

Many new Mac owners want to customize their Mac's look and feel. A simple place to begin is the desktop picture. It's easy to change and there are several options, from the images that come with the OS to freebies from the Internet and your own photos. Here's what to do (this post assumes you're using Mac OS X 10.5.x).

Open System Preferences from either the Apple Menu or the Dock and click Desktop & Screen Saver and then the Desktop tab. If you're in a hurry, you can also get there by right-clicking on an unoccupied area of the desktop, and choosing "Change Desktop Background." On the left you'll see several options. Click Apple Images to browse some of the images that shipped with your Mac. To set any as your Desktop picture, simply click it. The Nature, Plants, Black & White and Abstract folders also hold options from Apple. Personally, I like some of the black & whites.

If you've got iPhoto installed, you can browse your albums just as easily. Select the album on the left and click any image on the right to select it. Some of you may maintain your own folder of images. To access it from the Preference Pane, click the "+" and navigate to the photo that contains your images. Finally, you can simply drop an image into the well at the top of the Preference Pane window.

There are additional options at the bottom of the window, like changing the picture at regular intervals and disable the translucent menu bar (my personal favorite). Finally, if your image is too small, you can opt to tile or stretch it.

Now that you know how, go and grab some images. The Iconfactory, Pixlegirl Presents and Mac Desktops are good places to start looking.

Tags: desktop picture, DesktopPicture, iPhoto library, IphotoLibrary, leopard, mac 101, Mac101, preference pane, PreferencePane

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Odds and ends, Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBook

Apple's System Preference icon goes "Green"

by Cory Bohon (RSS feed) on Oct 21st, 2008

With the introduction of EPEAT Gold rated MacBooks and MacBook Pros last week, Apple has definitely been warming up to the environmental movement lately. So, it was only fitting that they would change a small part of System Preferences to reflect the EPEAT rating.

That's right, the Energy Saver icon has changed from an old incandescent bulb to a newer, more energy-efficient fluorescent bulb. Now you will only have to change the energy saver icon every 7 years, but be careful when you dispose of the old icons because they contain mercury (just kidding).

This change has only shown up on the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Do you think Apple will eventually update their entire line to have this new icon (and, of course, be EPEAT Gold rated)? We definitely hope so!

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Tags: Apple, bulb, energy saver, EnergySaver, environment, icon, MacBoko Pro, MacbokoPro, MacBook, preference pane, PreferencePane, System Preferences, SystemPreferences

Filed under: Software, Tips and tricks, Mods

Retro backgrounds available for Widgets Preference Pane

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Sep 2nd, 2005

Back in June I wrote about Widgets Preference Pane, which is a Mac OS X preference pane (as I'm sure you guessed) that gives you great control over Dashboard and your widets. Use it to quickly view all of your installed widgets, deactivate, activate or delete any of them, install new widgets via drag and drop and much more. You can also replace the widget bar's default perforated metal background. Use one of the supplied alternate backgrounds or make your own.

If you're like me - not the artistic type - visit Pixeldecor. Owner Jen has made several graphics specifically for replacing the metal backdrop, each with a cool, retro feel. Check it out.

Tags: dashboard, preference+pane, PreferencePane, utility, widgets

Tip of the Day

Use Spotlight as a reference tool. Type any word in the Spotlight box and one of the top entries will be a definition. Click on it, and it will bring up the dictionary application to check the word in either the dictionary, thesaurus, Apple database, or Wikipedia.

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