Mac Tutorials
Fuller, Full-Screen For Web Video
Occasionally I'll watch Sunday night NFL games on the NBCSports.com website. The NBCSports.com video player allows you to watch video full-screen. The problem is that even when watching full-screen, you've got wasted space to allow for the different camera angles that they offer.
NFL on NBC Video Player Window - Full-screen
Here's two ways to increase the size of full-screen video using a built-in MacOS X shortcut.
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Recovering Individual Files from Plesk Backup
If you host your website on a server that runs Plesk as the Control Panel, and you actually make back-ups of your server, then at some point you are probably going to want to access the files located on the Plesk generated back-up.
With some free software, it's easier than you think.
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MacOS 10.5 Install - Crash, Burn, Recovery
Yesterday I wrote an article about my first impressions of MacOS 10.5 'Leopard'. Today, I have a slightly different perspective as for the first time ever, I've had a failure when installing a version of MacOS X.
In this article I'll provide a way for you to (hopefully) recover the files that are on your system in the event that the same thing happens to you.
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MacOS 10.5 'Leopard' First Impressions
I received my copy of MacOS 10.5 'Leopard' yesterday via FedEx and promptly installed it on 3 of 5 computers that I have at home and in the office (a PowerBook G4, iMac (Intel) and a PowerMac Dual Processor G5). I also began an install on an iMac G5 which failed on the first installation attempt (and is currently in the process of installing - 2nd attempt). I thought I'd share my impressions of the new OS X (one - because I want to get in the habit of writing more and two - because I was hoping to get some feedback from other users).
To begin, I must admit that I am an unabashed fan of Apple products, and have been since working on my high school newspaper way back in 1992 - 1993. I've used MacOS X since day 1 (all the way back to the first release of the beta version of MacOS X) and feel that I have some insight into the evolution of an OS that is now in its sixth iteration. Below I've listed my first impressions of what I feel is 'The Good', 'The Bad' and 'The Ugly' of MacOS X Leopard.
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Plugin Adds Support for Motorola V365 in iSync
The great thing about the internet is that if you have a problem, you can usually find a solution to that problem. The problem I had was that my wife got a new Motorola V365 cell phone and we needed to transfer all of her contacts to the new phone and I thought iSync (via Bluetooth) would be the easiest way to do it. WRONG!
iSync would not recognize the V365 (actually, it did recognize it - it just wouldn't support it).
Fortunately, a search provided a fast and easy solution to my problem.
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Rip DVDs for iPod Video
In this Mac Tutorial, I'm going to show you how you can rip a DVD for playback on a new iPod (5th Generation - Video)
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Apple DVD Player 4.6 Available
Among the software updates that were included in MacOS 10.4 (Tiger) was an update to the DVD Player (version 4.5) that is included with the OS. This was a welcome update, as the DVD Player was seriously lacking in some respects.
Today, Apple released the 4.6 version of the DVD player.
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Increase Widget Security
With the addition of Widgets to MacOS 10.4 "Tiger" a potential security problem has arisen. This tutorial, provided by CJ Correnti of C2 Media Group will help increase the security of Widgets.
One simple solution, is obviously to turn off "Open Safe Files" in Safari, but that does make life a bit more difficult, so, for those who want to have their cake and eat it too (at least on this issue) I found it blindingly easy to add what I think should be closer to the default behavior - and it's not dependent on Safari.
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iTunes 4.8 Upgrade Reveals the Future of iPod and Video
Apple quietly released a point (4.8) update to iTunes yesterday (5/9/05). 
This update has been viewed as relatively minor, especially for Windows users, by those who have downloaded it so far.
I also viewed this update as minor, until I went to purchase the Dave Matthews Band album that was released today. With a little bit of creative thinking, and dot connecting, you can almost see the future of not only the iPod, but also the way we carry video with us.
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Planning and Executing a Smooth System Upgrade
With every major OS release, there is a plan that I follow to ensure that (1) no files are lost, 
(2) no applications are lost/forgotten, (3) a Clean Install is placed on my hard drive and (4) important files are archived to CD/DVD.
Now that the arrival of MacOS X (10.4) Tiger is imminent (according to UPS.com tracking), I'm in the process of performing another one of these upgrades. This tutorial will focus on upgrading a MacOS system, but many of the tips, if not the software involved, could be used for an upgrade or clean install of any operating system (OS).
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MacDesign Magazine becomes Layers
MacDesign Magazine, one of the best you'll find for tips, tricks and tutorials on 
the applications that are near and dear to the heart (and wallet) of every web developer, graphic designer and video editor has changed names and focus (slightly).
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QuickTime Pro 7 Available
Now that Tiger [MacOS 10.4] is in the wild, the new version of QuickTime is also 
available. QuickTime 7, currently only available on the Macintosh, offers a host of new features including the ability to view (and create with the Pro version) beautiful high definition video using the new H.264 codec.
For all those getting ready to upgrade, be warned… (that's called a tease)
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NASCAR TrackPass Now Available for Macintosh
NASCAR, the fastest growing sport in America, has long offered exclusive access 
to premium live and on-demand content via its Nextel TrackPass subscription service for PC. That service is now available to users on the Macintosh platform.
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MacOS 10.3.8 Upgrade Horror Story
Okay, so maybe horror story is a bit much. But, maybe not. Apple released an update to MacOS X Panther yesterday (10.3.8 - found here) and as usual, I installed it without hesitation. Unfortunately, that's where things went awry.
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Use Quicktime Pro to rotate Movies
With many of the digital camera manufacturers adding the ability to record 
movies of various lengths and quality to their digital cameras, a recent problem has popped up. How to rotate a movie that you have taken with the digital camera? In this quick little tutorial, I'll show you how to use Quicktime Pro [$29.99 - Apple.com] to rotate any video clip.
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Update iPhoto - Even if it doesn't want to!
Apple released an update to iPhoto 5 today [version 5.01] which solves some issues 
that some users were having (me included). According to the release notes, the update "addresses issues with upgrading iPhoto 4 libraries, dragging albums into folders, importing MPEG 4 movies, and also includes a number of other minor fixes." The update is available via the software update menu, in most cases. In some cases, it's not recognizing the new update is available. None of my computers showed the update as being available. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to solve this minor problem and get the newest version of iPhoto.
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Change Your Default Browser in MacOS X
Finally made the switch from the Safari web browser to Firefox? (BTW - If you haven't yet, I recommend you give Firefox a test drive). With this quick tutorial I'll show you how to change your default web browser in MacOS X (Panther).
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Firefox Speed Tip - MUST READ
If you are a Firefox user then this tip is for you. If you don't know what Firefox is, then check out this review that I wrote back on November 11, 2004. Forever Geek has posted an excellent "power-user" trick for increasing the speed of Firefox. The tip is for broadband users (cable modem, DSL) and can be completed in under 1 minute. Definitely worth the time. Make Firefox Faster: Forevergeek.com
Citibank Phisher Scheme
Phisher Schemes are on the rise. Are you at risk? 
This is not a Windows problem or a Macintosh problem. This is an internet problem and anyone who spends time or money online needs to be aware of this growing trend. In this quick internet security tutorial, we'll take a look at one of the ways that we're all at risk and how we can avoid getting caught in the net.
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Firefox 1.0 - The Internet Explorer Killer?
On November 9, 2004, Mozilla released the 1.0 version of their lean and mean Firefox browser. 
There have been rumblings that Firefox and other browsers may be taking market share away from Internet Explorer (IE), albiet at a slow rate. The question is not whether the 1.0 release of Firefox has eclipsed IE, but by how much?
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Adding Album Art to iTunes Using Clutter
With the release of iTunes 4 and the integrated iTunes Music Store (iTMS) Apple has added the ability to view album artwork. Every song that you purchase comes with the album artwork for the album that it comes from. This is great for newly purchased music, but what about CD's that you've ripped? Or music that you've downloaded (legally, of course) off of the internet? I'll show you how to find the album art for all of your music.
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Use Mail Rules to Control Spam in Entourage
Using the mail rules tool in Microsoft Entourage (and other email applications) you can eliminate some of the more frequent spam that you receive.
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Printer Sharing with Rendezvous
I had a problem.
I have an Airport Network, with an iMac in my kitchen. My main computer, a PowerMac G5, is downstairs. I also have a PowerBook that roams around the house. The printer, a Hewlett Packard Officejet D135, is connected to the G5.
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Virtual PC 7 Available Immediately...Or in 4-6 Weeks
Am I a sucker, or what? I was excited when I read on MacMinute [full story] that Virtual PC 7 
was going to be immediately available. Then I called to check the status of my order…
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Reconfigure Your 250 MB of .Mac Storage Space
It's that time again. Renewal time for my .Mac account. Apple has upped the amount of storage space from 100 MB to 250 MB. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to reconfigure your .Mac account to provide more email or iDisk storage space.
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Game Emulation on the Mac
Atari. Nintendo. Super Nintendo. These were the gaming machines of my youth. These were also the forerunners of todays gaming machines like the Play Station 2, X-Box and GameCube. In this tutorial. I'll show you how to resurrect these old games on your Mac.
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Network Two Mac's via Firewire
When connecting two Macs with Firewire built in, most of us use Firewire Target Disk Mode. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to connect two Mac's via IP over Firewire.
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Using Firewire Disk Mode on your Mac
Most people, when transferring files from one Mac to another, will set up a network but in todays tutorial I will show you how to quickly and easily transfer files using fiirewire disk mode.
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Duplicate DVD's in MacOS X
The ease with which you can create professional looking DVD's using iDVD is one of the great advantages of using a Mac. In this tutorial. I'll show you how to duplicated DVD's that you have created using iDVD or DVD Studio Pro.
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Burn a CD from the Finder
One of the many advantages of the MacOS, is the fact that you can burn a cd from the finder, no extra software needed. This works best with internal CDRW drives but will also work with supported external CDRW drives. I was using my Powerbook G4 with combo drive for this tutorial.
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Stay Informed with iTunes
The 9/11 Commission Report has sold more than 350,000 copies in its first week on shelves in bookstores. 
The 9/11 Commission report is a 400-plus page document that chronicles the days and months leading up to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
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YouControl : Fonts [Review]
Fonts, Fonts, every where and…boy are they out of control!
Ask any graphic designer, web master, or Photoshop guru and they will tell you. We are overrun with fonts. Apple knows it. Thus the release of FontBook with Jaguar. There are, at last check, nearly 100 font related (viewing, cataloging, etc) apps available at versiontracker.com.
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PowerMac G5 Firmware Update
Apple posted a firmware update for the PowerMac G5 yesterday (9/13/04). This update is recommended and improves general system reliability and restores sleep functionality.
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Use Voice Commands to Control Your Mac
In the past couple of years, products like IBM's ViaVoice have allowed Mac users to create text documents using the spoken word instead of the keyboard. These products often require more of an investment in time and money than they are worth (Ask my dad!).
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Manage Multiple iPhoto Libraries
I LOVE iPHOTO. But, let's face it. It becomes bloated. Slow. Sluggish. It can beach ball to the point where you think you are at the public pool.
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Video/Audio Editing with QuickTime Pro
Quicktime 6 (Pro) can be used to do simple video editing such as cutting a video, splicing together video, applying a filter to the video and adding sound tracks.
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NetNewsWire Lite [Review]
How do you find news on the internet? If you are like most people, then you probably have a few "Trusted" sites that you visit daily to keep up to date. This described me to a T. Here is an idea of what my browsing habits looked like, just one week ago.
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Make Sherlock More Watson-Like
Sherlock was billed as a great way to find anything on your mac and the web. Then, a program called Watson was released that blew the doors off of Sherlock. In this tutorial we'll look at how you can make Sherlock more Watson Like.
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Change the Program that Opens a File
In this tutorial we are going to look at how to open a file with a specific program. This is a quick little MacOS X (10.2) tip that may come in handy some day.
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Taking Screenshots in MacOS X
Ever have something happen on your computer that you wanted to remember without having to write it down? Take a screenshot.
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Removing Cookies in IE
How do you remove cookies in Internet Explorer in MacOS X? This is a tutorial that was posted to my old site in March of 2004.