The Archive ( Read Only )

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/wikipedia-sopa.jpg" alt="Use Wikipedia during SOPA blackout" title="wikipedia-sopa" width="620" height="343" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26112" /></p> <p>SOPA and PIPA are two terrible internet censorship bills that are dangerously close to passage in the USA, and Wikipedia has blacked out their web site <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more">in protest</a>. </p> <p>…but what if you really need to use Wikipedia today? What if you’re a student and your paper was due yesterday and you need to…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/spotlight-indexing.jpg" alt="Rebuild the Spotlight Index" title="spotlight-indexing" width="620" height="271" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26086" /></p> <p>Do you need to rebuild the entire Spotlight index on a Mac? It’s easy to do, but can take a while. Here’s how to start the reindexing process of an entire drive using the Spotlight control panel: <span id="more-26085"></span></p> <ul> <li>Launch System Preferences from the  Apple menu</li> <li>Click on “Spotlight” and then click on the “Privacy” tab<…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/screensaver.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Screen Saver" title="screensaver" width="620" height="364" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26079" /></p> <p>If you’ve tried to take a screenshot of a screen saver before, you’ve noticed that the keyboard shortcuts disturb the screensaver and wake the Mac up. The secret to taking screen shots of a running screen saver is to use the “Test” button while holding down half of the key sequence, here’s how:</p> <ul> <li>Open System Preferences from the  Apple menu and click on “Desktop and Screen Saver”&lt…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><iframe width="620" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XW5aEQzTcW0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>You’ve probably heard the talk of AT&T throttling heavy data users, but now we can see it’s effects ourselves and it’s probably worse than you thought. AppAdviceDaily put together the video up top, skip in about a minute ahead and you’ll see a side-by-side comparison of download speeds on a throttled vs non-throttled iPhone 4S. The speed difference is gigantic, as low as 0.07mbps on the throttled account vs 1.8mbps on the normal account.</p> <p>Throttling is onl…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dropbox-public-link-bloodrop.jpg" alt="Dropbox public links made easy" title="dropbox-public-link-bloodrop" width="620" height="349" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26066" /></p> <p>Retrieving public URL’s from Dropbox takes several steps, but Bloodrop makes it easy. Just drag a file onto the app and it will automatically upload to Dropbox and then copy the public link to your clipboard. It’s that simple. </p> <p>Before grabbing Bloodrop, you’ll want to have Growl (or the <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/12/19/growl-fork-brings-growl-noti…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/reset-iphone.jpg" alt="Reset iPhone" title="reset-iphone" width="600" height="289" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26058" /></p> <p>If you want an iPhone to appear as new, you need to reset the device to it’s factory settings. This is ideal if you plan on selling an iPhone or are going to transfer ownership of the device to another individual, and can also be a helpful troubleshooting technique. </p> <p>The reset process will remove all data on the device, you will want to <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2010/06/22/how-to-backup-your-iphone/"…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/facetime.jpg" alt="FaceTime" title="facetime" width="271" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26043" /></p> <p>FaceTime has long been expected to support video calls over 3G networks, but thus far it hasn’t happened without a <a href="http://osxdaily.com/tag/jailbreak/">jailbreak</a>. Blame it on the carriers, Apple, the rain, maybe 3G is too slow, or maybe it will be a feature for upcoming <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/13/ipad-3-to-be-released-in-march-with-sharper-screen-quad-core-cpu-and-4g-lte/">4G LTE iPad</a> …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/media-encoder-mac-os-x-lion.jpg" alt="Media Encoding in Mac OS X Lion" title="media-encoder-mac-os-x-lion" width="620" height="447" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26028" /></p> <p>New to Mac OS X Lion are several built-in media encoding abilities, allowing you to encode and convert video and audio to other formats right on the desktop. We just covered a tip on <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/16/convert-video-to-audio-mac-os-x-lion/">how to convert video to audio</a> using the media encoder, but it turns out this feature isn’t enabled by …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/convert-video-to-audio.jpg" alt="Convert Video to Audio" title="convert-video-to-audio" width="619" height="223" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26001" /></p> <p>Converting a video file to an audio track is made extremely easy with the help of Mac OS X Lion’s new <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/02/26/mac-os-x-10-7-lion-includes-a-video-media-encoder-in-the-finder/">media encoding abilities</a> that are built directly into the Finder. This has been tested to work with .mov, .m4v, .mpg, and mp4, and the resulting audio track is 256kbps m4a fil…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/redsnow.jpg" alt="Redsnow" title="redsnow" width="146" height="146" class="alignright size-full wp-image-26007" /> An updated version of the redsn0w jailbreak utility has been made available to resolve a prominent bug with iBooks and also includes other minor bugfixes that could cause crashing. Versioned as Redsn0w 0.9.10b4, the new release continues to be an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0.1 for the iPhone 4 & 3GS, iPod touch 3rd & 4th gen, and iPad 1, and does not provide support to any other devices. </p> <p>Fixing the iBooks problem for already jai…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/play-music-itunes-cover-art-screensaver.jpg" alt="Play Music from the iTunes Cover Art Screensaver" title="play-music-itunes-cover-art-screensaver" width="620" height="303" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25989" /></p> <p>Did you know the iTunes Artwork screensaver in Mac OS X Lion is interactive? By hovering over an album when the screen saver is active, a pop-up play button will appear similar to what is found by <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2010/11/30/play-mp3-and-audio-files-in-the-finder/">hovering over music in the Finder</a>, click it a…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/option-right-click-relaunch-finder.jpg" alt="" title="Restart the Finder with Option+Right Click" width="490" height="165" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25968" /></p> <p>Need to quickly restart the Finder in Mac OS X? The quickest way to do so is using the Dock:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Hold down Option key and Right Click on Finder’s Dock icon</strong>, then select “Relaunch”</li> </ul> <p>Option+Right Click reveals the otherwise hidden “Relaunch” option in the menu, selecting that causes the Finder to qu…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mac-setup-in-a-tent.jpg" alt="Mac setup in a tent" title="mac-setup-in-a-tent" width="620" height="413" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25977" /></p> <p>Chris W sent in this very unique <a href="http://osxdaily.com/category/mac-setups/">Mac setup</a> of a portable video editing station inside of a tent! Why would someone edit video in a tent? Here’s what Chris says about the workstation:</p> <blockquote><p>Here is a setup that I was using a couple of weeks ago while covering a local motor sport event. Keep in mind, this was …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/apple-ipad.jpg" alt="Apple iPad" title="apple-ipad" width="620" height="243" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25959" /></p> <p>The <a href="http://osxdaily.com/tag/ipad-3/">iPad 3</a> is currently in production for a March release, according to a new report from <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/apple-said-to-prepare-march-ipad-3-debut-with-sharper-screen-faster-chip.html">Bloomberg</a>. Three sources “familiar with the product” say that the new iPad will also have a “sharper” screen, faster quad core processor, and …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/watch-what-apps-are-using-a-file.jpg" alt="Watch what apps are using a file with lsof or opensnoop" title="watch-what-apps-are-using-a-file" width="566" height="151" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25955" /></p> <p>Using the lsof command, we can find out exactly what process or application is using a specified file at that given moment. This is similar to the <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/04/22/monitor-mac-os-x-filesystem-usage-access-with-opensnoop/">opensnoop command</a>, but rather than watching the changes to a file over time, lsof can…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/file-extensions-shown1.jpg" alt="File Extensions Shown in Mac OS X" title="file-extensions-shown" width="618" height="401" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25930" /></p> <p>File extensions (.jpg, .txt, .pdf, etc) are hidden by default in Mac OS X, this makes for a cleaner user experience and is fine for most users, but it drives me nuts and it’s one of the first things I change when setting up a Mac. You can either set all extensions to be displayed through a universal setting, or you can set extensions to be shown on a per file basis with the help of the …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/3d-transparent-dock.jpg" alt="3D Transparent Dock in Mac OS X Lion" title="3d-transparent-dock" width="619" height="128" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25941" /></p> <p>We have gone through tons of OS X <a href="http://osxdaily.com/tag/dock/">Dock tips</a> before, but with the help of a free Lion compatible app called Docker, we can apply many changes to the Docks behavior and customizations to the Docks appearance easily with just a few clicks.</p> <p>What exactly can you customize? Using Docker, you can: change Dock style from …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kext-files.jpg" alt="Kext files" title="kext-files" width="620" height="354" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25915" /></p> <p>Can’t use the <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/04/install-kext-files-easily-with-kext-drop/">easy Kext Drop</a> app for some reason to install a kernel extension? Installing kexts (kernel extensions) manually is always an option and it’s not too difficult if you’re comfortable with the command line:</p> <ul> <li>Copy the .kext file(s) to /System/Library/Extensions/</li> <li>Open the …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/hidpi-vs-normal.jpg" alt="HiDPI vs Normal display " title="hidpi-vs-normal" width="608" height="240" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25897" /></p> <p>In what is some of the strongest evidence that Apple is working towards bringing higher resolution retina style displays to Macs, a series of hidden HiDPI resolutions can be enabled in OS X Lion. </p> <p>Much like how iPhone UI elements handles it’s retina screen, the HiDPI modes in Mac OS X double the resolution of many onscreen elements, which would make the elements look sharper on very high …

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/quick-airdrop.jpg" alt="Quick AirDrop access" title="quick-airdrop" width="620" height="208" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25908" /></p> <p>Remembering a keyboard shortcut makes <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/11/14/how-to-use-airdrop-in-mac-os-x/">using AirDrop</a> even easier, by quickly accessing the AirDrop window and enabling the Mac to be ready to accept or send files.</p> <p>The AirDrop keystroke is <strong>Command+Shift+R</strong> to instantly bring up the AirDrop window from anywhere on the Mac OS X Lion d…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ota-update-ios.jpg" alt="Download and install OTA Updates for iOS" title="ota-update-ios" width="275" height="413" class="alignright size-full wp-image-25888" /> When a new iOS software update is made available, you can download and install the update directly on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch by using Over the Air updates, abbreviated as OTA. These work by downloading only the files that are different, so the file size is smaller than general <a href="http://osxdaily.com/tag/ipsw/">IPSW</a> downloads, making the installation process faster. OTA updates also el…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/color-blindness-simulator-mac.jpg" alt="Color Blindness Simulator" title="color-blindness-simulator-mac" width="620" height="192" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25876" /></p> <p>Color Oracle is a free app that makes simulating color blindness easy, allowing for a real time look at how those with different types of color impairments will view images on screen. The utility “<em>takes the guesswork out of designing for color blindness</em>” and according to it’s developers, uses the best available algorithm for simulating color recognition impai…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/iphone-stuck-on-apple-logo.png" alt="iPhone stuck on Apple logo" title="iphone-stuck-on-apple-logo" width="187" height="277" class="alignright size-full wp-image-25869" /> Occasionally through the standard iOS upgrade process, but most commonly when jailbreaking, the iPhone can reboot and get stuck on the Apple logo. Turning the phone on and off generally doesn’t help, as you’ll be continuously stopped at the white Apple logo and the iPhone never boots. This is different than being <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2011/01/08/iphone-recovery-mode/">stuck on Recovery Mode&l…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/apple_education-invite.jpg" alt="Apple education announcement invite" title="apple_education-invite" width="560" height="401" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25863" /></p> <p>Apple has sent out press invitations to an “education announcement” scheduled for January 19 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. According to <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20120111/apple-announces-january-19-education-event-in-new-york/">AllThingsD</a>, the event is likely to focus on bringing iBooks to the education market, and possibly have ties to iTunes U:<…

<div class="KonaBody"><p><img src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/password-protect-folder-mac.jpg" alt="Password Protect a Folder and Files in Mac OS X" title="password-protect-folder-mac" width="619" height="285" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-25854" /></p> <p>You can password protect files and folders in Mac OS X by using a trick with disk images. Here’s how it works; by placing files inside of an encrypted disk image, that disk image will work like a password protected folder and require a password before it’s mounted, preventing unauthorized access to all of the contents.</p> <h2 style="font-size:1.2em;"&…