MacCast 06.05.2009 - Show #268
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Media/Links
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Opening
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Opening Music
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Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
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Mandaandthemarbles.com
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Sponsor
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Faronics
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Deep Freeze
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Great for education, schools, libraries, public spaces, hospitality.
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Set up an old Mac as a public computer and know that each time it's rebooted it is restored like a fresh new clean install.
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If you want user data to be saved you can set up Thawed spaces, even mapping user and application data.
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Try before you buy.
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News
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Apple Store news and updates
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According to AppleInsider Apple Senior Vice President of Retail Ron Johnson told USAToday the company plans to revamp about 100 of it's existing Apple retail stores
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Larger tables to show off more Macs
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Bigger Genius bars.
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Apple also plans to add another 25 retail locations in places like Manhattan, Paris, Germany and Italy.
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Apple also changed it's One to One training program
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Raised session time limit to 3 hours, up from 1 hour.
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Now there may be up to 3 people in a one-to one training session. HUH?
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The New York Post claims the 5th Ave retail store rakes in about $440 million per year in sales.
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ifoAppleStore has design images of a supposed store planed to open later this year in Beijing, China.
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New Sacramento, California area store opening this Saturday at Westfield Galleria in Rosewood, CA.
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Apple software updates galore
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iWork '09 9.0.2 Update
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Improves reliability when saving some iWork documents, and also when playing some presentations more than once during a single Keynote session.
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MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.3
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For some 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models, but Apple's not saying which ones.
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Adjusts fan behavior when running under high workloads conditions.
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I would imagine it would show up in Software Update if you need it.
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iTunes 8.2
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Support for iPhone 3.0
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Accessibility improvements and bug fixes
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QuickTime 7.6.2
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Includes changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security.
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Improves compatibility with Apple ProRes media
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Improves support for iTunes 8.2
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10 security updates, but 2 are Windows only.
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AirPort Utility 5.4.2
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The software for managing the AirPort Express Base Station, the AirPort Extreme Base Station, and the Time Capsule
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Includes general fixes and compatibility updates for the following applications: AirPort Utility and AirPort Base Station Agent
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iLife Support 9.0.3
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Update addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability for the Media Browser, and fixes a number of other minor issues.
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Resolved memory leaks for improved performance of the Media Browser
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Corrected issues to display custom folders when added to the Media Browser
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Maintained correct Image dates when importing from iPhoto to Aperture
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iDVD 7.0.4
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Addresses general compatibility issues and fixes an issue where iDVD is unable to add title/comment to an image in the image details list.
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iMovie 8.0.3
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addresses general compatibility issues, improved overall stability and fixes a number of other minor issues
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Support for 720p AVCHD Lite cameras and camcorders
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Deleting a beat marker no longer modifies the project duration
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Video Effects palette now uses the correct thumbnail for still images
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TidBits Jeff Carlson found the hidden stuff in this one
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Ken Burns for Video, in the past was reserved for imported stills
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New Optimize Video Menu Option. Allows you to convert more types of video to the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) format. iMoves does this for HDV or AVCHD video for easier editing, but hadn't in the past for video like from the Flip Mino HD
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Other Optimizations -- Performance of rendering and playing back themes and maps has gotten faster, as has general application launch time.
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iPhoto 8.0.3 Update
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Addresses general compatibility, improves overall stability and fixes a number of issues in the following areas of the application:
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Publishing to MobileMe, Facebook, and Flickr
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Slideshow playback
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Location (GPS) info embedded in emailed photos and exported JPEGs
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Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.6
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Extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 2, iPhoto 08, and iPhoto 09 for the following cameras:
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Canon EOS 500D, Canon Rebel T1i, Canon EOS Kiss Digital X3, Nikon D5000, and the Olympus E-30
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Next gen iPhones or it's look-a-likes surface
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As usually happens images of supposed next gen iPhone are starting to crop up online
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MacRumors and iPhonealley had side by side images of a matte backed "next gen" model and a current 3G.
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On the eve of WWDC, last minute updates
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Apple has completed push notification server testing which began in May.
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Snow Leopard may be nearing completion and MacRumors has reports that the latest internal build from Apple are being called 'gold master' candidates. Could mean Apple hands developer final builds.
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Jobs may make a brief appearance
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Possibly may be a much larger, 'welcome back' event slated for later in the month.
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Apple may nix free iPhone app re-downloads
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Images from the iPhone 3.0 software surfaces on Electronista, MacNN and other blogs showing a new dialog on iPhones when users attempted to re-download prior purchased apps.
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In the past you had been given a dialog offering to re-download to the iPhone or iPod touch for free
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The new dialog says, "You have already purchased this. You can re-download it for free on your computer, or tap Buy to buy it again." Then a Cancel or Buy button is show implying that to download directly on the device you now have to pay.
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Gizmodo seems to think the issues is friends logging in on each others iPhones and sharing apps.
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This is again a case of punishing the many for the bad deeds of a few and harkens back to draconian DRM where we assume everyone is a pirate.
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I checked with some sources and it looks like that feature may have now been reverted, but Apple might be toying with the idea, so be warned.
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WWDC iPhone Rumor Round-up
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Via Cult of Mac Blog, which pulled these from TRGBlog.com which has a cool graphic
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Likely
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Video record/ edit capabilities
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Improved, 3.2 MP camera with auto focus lens
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July 17th launch date
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$199 16GB and $299 32GB models and price points
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Video MMS support
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More RAM and improved processor
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Improved battery life
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Nike+ built-in
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Digital compass
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Less Likely
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Relocated speaker (higher)
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Direct video uploading to YouTube
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Wi-Fi Movie and TV downloads
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Matte and or rubberized back case
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HD video support for TV playback, like Apple TV.
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Highly unlikely
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Forward facing camera
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Black metallic front trim
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OLED Screen (I hope this is true)
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Light up Apple Logo
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Adobe Flash support
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802.11n Wi-Fi
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FM-transmitter
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Apple extends warranty for Nvidia defects
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Macworld says Apple has extended the warranty for graphics issues on some NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT equipped Macbook Pros for up to 3 years after the original purchase date.
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Apple has acknowledged defects in the NVIDIA chips in some models that may result in distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen or no video at all.
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NVIDIA admitted that many 8400M and 8600M were suffering from heat failures.
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Models effected are:
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MacBook Pro (17-Inch, 2.4GHz)
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MacBook Pro (15-Inch, 2.4/2.2GHz)
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MacBook Pro (Early 2008)
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With NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics and manufactured between May 2007 and September 2008
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If you have one of these models and are experiencing these issues contact Apple for repair.
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Apple tops in UK Ed
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From Macworld UK, a Gartner Research report says that Apple accounted for 26.4 of the Western Europe education market for Q1 2009.
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If you look just at the UK number Apple's share jumps to 27.3%
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These number make Apple the top supplier for schools and colleges in the UK and Europe.
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Feedback, Comments and Commentary
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Adjusting media playback speeds
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Rick from Winnipeg asked about adjusting the playback speeds of audiobooks in iTunes like you can on the iPod or iPhone.
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Can't do it in iTunes on the Mac, but can in QuickTime using the A/V controls. Window-->Show A/V Controls (Command+K).
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Adjust playback speed up or down. Also, pitch, treble, bass, and a bunch of other stuff
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Doug's Scripts has an AppleScript called 'Open Selected in QuickTime, Show AV' that you can add to open a selected track in Quicktime.
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Download and install the script into your ~/Library/iTunes/Scripts directory
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Select the track in iTunes and under the AppleScript menu choose the 'Open Selected in QuickTime, Show AV' script
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Quicktime will launch, open the file, and show the A/V controls.
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Seems to work for most audio and video files, except Audible books and iTunes purchased videos.
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Would be great if there was a plug-in in iTunes to speed up playback. If you know of one, let us know.
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Make your own widgets the easy way
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Occasionally I will have someone send me a Maccast Widget that they created using Dashcode, so I thought I would cover how you can do just that.
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Dashcode, you can get for free by downloading and installing the Developer tools
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Dashcode has web application and widget templates. Countdown clock, gauge, rss, and Podcast.
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Select Podcast and start your widget
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Dascode has a Workflow steps section that will set you through the process, but
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Add your feed URL to the attributes & properties
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Set up your images and icons
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Test your widget by hitting 'Run'
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Once satisfied, choose the File-->Deploy Widget option to add your widget to your Dashboard.
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You can share it by copying the Widget file out of ~/Library/Widgets
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An even easier way to make a widget is to use Safari's web clip feature.
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When browsing in Safari you have the web clip icon in your toolbar (looks like scissors and dotted lines). If not there choose 'View-->Customize Toolbar…' to add it.
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Once you click it you can select any area of a web page to make into a widget.
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Pick a part of a site that changes, like the Weather section of my iGoogle page. Then click the 'add' button at the top of the Web clip screen.
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That adds the clipping as a live widget. Click the "i" icon to set the "theme" or adjust the crop.
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What to do if you haven't backed up
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First of all... it is always easier and more likely to be a success to recover files from backups.
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Time Machine and cheap hard drives make it so easy, so at a minimum I beg you, do at least this.
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So many Cloud services available also. Checkout the 4/19 Maccast and 4/26 follow-up show
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So what if you don't have a backup?
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If the drive still works you can try software
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Data Rescue II
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File Salvage
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If the drive has failed or software doesn't work you can use a data recovery service
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Drive Savers has a great reputation. They will charge you a few hundred dollars to attempt the recovery and then a quoted fee, usually several hundred dollars, for data they are able to recover.
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Bottom line is you can pay a little now to protect yourself or pay a lot later and maybe not even get all your stuff back.
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The 'F' and 'fn' keys
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For the last few years Apple keyboards, included with Macs and built-in, have has special controls mapped to the standard 'F' keys.
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Brightness, iTunes controls, volume, etc.
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I don't like using the Expose keys on the latest keyboards, because I git used to the F9, F10, and F11 keys.
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So how do you change the behavior to act as standard F keys?
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Keyboard and Mouse System Preferences has a "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys" checkbox.
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To use the special controls when this is checked you need to add add the 'fn' key.
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The 'fn' key and F12 have some other tricks:
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fn+delete will act as a 'forward' delete, which many PC users are familiar with.
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In some apps, like Safari, pressing the 'fn' + arrow up or arrow down will scroll up or down one window worth of info at a time. 'fn' + arrow left will scroll to the top of a window and 'fn' + arrow down will scroll to the bottom of a window.
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On a non-mac keyboard without an eject key holding down the F12 key for about a second will eject a CD/DVD
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Fax from your Mac
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Andrew wanted to know if there was a way to fax without using a phone line
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Easiest way would be to use a phone line and get Apple's USB modem, USD $49.00 or get an all in one USB fax printer and connect to a phone line.
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If you want to do it without a phone line you will need to use a service like eFax.com, EasyLink, Fax.com, Faxaway, jConnect (j2.com). J2 offers free incoming service with .10/page outgoing.
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Smile on My Mac makes a fax app, Page Sender, that integrates with many of the popular services.
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Moving your Time Machine Backup to a bigger drive
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Something I get asked about a lot, but I didn't think was possible. Listener Jason found the solution on Mac Yourself.com
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1.) Connect both your current TM drive and the one you plan to use in the future to your Mac.
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2.) Turn off Time Machine to avoid having new backups made during the cloning process. Make your way into System Preferences and slide the big switch into the Off position
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3.) Launch Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities). In the left pane you should see both of your disks on the list. Click on one of them and select the Restore tab towards the top of the window.
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4.) Drag your current Time Machine volume (shown with a green disk icon on the left pane) to the Source field. Then drag your new Time Machine volume to the Destination field. Ensure you have no important data on the Destination drive because it will be erased permanently.
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5.) Check the “Erase destination” box and click the Restore button. Cloning the data block-by-block may take quite a bit of time, so expect a fairly long wait.
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6.) Once the data has been copied, it’s usually a good idea to rename the old TM volume so it doesn’t conflict with the new one. Right-clicking on its name in Finder and choosing “Rename…” is all there is to that.
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7.) Finally, go back into System Preferences and switch Time Machine’s slider back into the On position. Everything should pick up right where it left off, except with more room to breathe on that new disk drive.
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I have not personally tried this, but Jason says it worked for him.
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Closing
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Podcast Marketplace
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Thanks to my sponsors
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Circus Ponies
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Smile on my Mac
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Faronics, Deep Freeze
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CocoaTech, Path Finder 5
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Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
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281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
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PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
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MacCast Forum
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Follow me on Twitter
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WWDC coverage
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I will be phoning it in, literally
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Victor Cajiao will be helping produce the show while I am on vacation in Pismo Beach, CA
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"Breathe" by This Is Fiction
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From the Podsafe Music Network
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Artist's MySpace page
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Mac 20 Questions
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I made a recent appearance on Mac 20 questions
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EOL: Mmmm, mmm, iPhone
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Seller on Etsy is making iPhone cases that Andy Warhol would be proud of. (via Cult of Mac)
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