Mac Tricks

Switch between languages OS X Keyboard

sergio — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:28:08 +0000

Here’s a trick from Devananda that deserved its own post:

hey!

I just wanted to share a shortcut that I found on accident! And I didn’t know where to share it and since you asked…….

I have to type in Korean sometimes so I have the keyboard shortcut to switch between the most recent languages by pressing ⌘-space. This can be configured in the keyboard section of system prefs. This means when I press ⌘ space once it switches to Korean keyboard and I can type in Korean 안녕하세요! 밥먹었어요? and when I press ⌘ – space again it switches back to USA keyboard and I can type in English again.

Anyway, if you press ⌘ – space and hold down ⌘ and then tap space bar again~ a little quick view window appears that allows you to choose any of the other languages you have set there by using the arrow keys!

I mean you can’t really appreciate this one until you do it…but I guess that goes for all shortcut/ hotkeys?

We love user tips and tricks, keep them coming folks!

Image Editor for Mac – Pixelmator

phil — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:56:34 +0000

If you are looking for a slick image editor for Mac that won’t push you further into debt, check out this Mactricks.net download of the day. Pixelmator has a cool Mac-style interface with most of the fixins’ that Photoshop provides. Brushes, resizing, layers, colors, and more. Remember, it’s not free (I think the full version is $59) but it’s a hell of a lot better than paying a gagillion dollars for Photoshop, and it gets all the basic jobs done. So, if you are looking for a demo, and a very reasonably priced image editor for Mac, Pixelmator is the obvious choice. Check out the trial below.

Download Pixelmator Now (free)

Quickly Hide the Dock

sergio — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:14:58 +0000

Possibly the easiest, yet most useful shortcuts i have used to date. You can quickly hide/show your dock by pressing Command – Option – D

Anyone know of any other quick handy shortcuts?

Select Screenshot Area, Beyond Ctrl + Shift + 4…

phil — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:36:04 +0000

So this is something I just learned today, which I can’t believe I didn’t know before… There is a way to make taking screen shots on a Mac even cleaner and easier. Use this extra step when need-be.

Step 1: Hold down Ctrl + Shift + 4, then let go

Step 2: Press Spacebar

Step 3: Move the camera icon around to the selected area, then click. Your screen shot will be saved to your desktop or wherever you specified.

Much cleaner shots! You can even use it to take a snap of your desktop background.

Reader Question: Custom finder views

sergio — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:22:45 +0000

Tyler writes:

I need help! I work on a Mac at work and I don’t want to delete anything from my downloads folder ever. However, it has gotten so large, I now need to view the files by date created. However, when I do this, I have to view every other finder window that way. I want to view only my downloads in chronological order and my other finder windows in alphabetical order. Is this possible!? Thanks so much

Reader Question: Dual Monitor Tricks

sergio — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:19:07 +0000

Today i want to start a new section on Mac Tricks entitled Reader Q&A. Everyday i get emails with questions from readers regarding their computer, and i figured the best way to answer all of them is to put the best ones up for all of you to answer.

Robert writes:

Hello,
if its within the dominion and jurisdiction of the realms of the possible, I would like my mac to:

display on one screen: a mirror (real-time projection) image of a zoomed-in quarter of the other screen.

I play a strategy game w a mini map in the bottom left corner. At a high level of play, watching the map constantly is essential to securing victory. I would like a larger mini-map displayed on my smaller screen.

Does that make sense? I have OSX. Is this possible? Im gonna email Apple as well. Thank you. Obviously, this isnt actually important, but itd be great. Thanks. -robert

Lets use the power of Mac Tricks to help robert out!

Launchpad – Getting Rid Of Unused Apps

phil — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:00:06 +0000

The iPad inspired Launchpad for OS X Lion is a cool feature, but it can be annoying if you can’t remove apps that you don’t use. Getting rid of clutter is a must for many, and the I’m sure that over the next few months Apple will release updates that allow an easy way to remove apps from the launch pad. Luckily, MacTricks has found a way to do this that is pretty simple. For all you button-followers, don’t be intimidated, just follow the simple instructions below and relax your mind.

Step 1: Open up Terminal

Step 2: Double click and copy/paste the string below into Terminal.

sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db "DELETE from apps; DELETE from groups WHERE title<>''; DELETE from items WHERE rowid>2;"; Killall Dock

Step 3: The Apps are removed and you can add the ones you like.

Step 4: If you want the original Launchpad restored, follow the same steps above with this string:

rm ~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/*.db; killall Dock

Also, to launch Launchpad, use this gesture:



Happy Launching!

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Upgrade To Mac OS X Lion – Yet

phil — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:09:58 +0000

You know, we always have to play fair. If you are like many, lazy, you may not give two pineapples about upgrading to OS X Lion. I mean, Snow Leopard is pretty satisfactory for almost any of our computing needs. Therefore, in this post I will go over some reason you may want to just hold out for a few months and trust your lazy instincts. Of course this does not mean that if you hear of an OS X Lion feature that is useful to you, you should just wait. On the contrary we are simply the suppliers of your fore-knowledge and make no claim to what you should or shouldn’t do with your lives. We leave that up to your spouse.

Number 1: Some apps don’t work. For instance, Nuance’s Dragon Dictate speech recognition software.

Check out Roaring Apps’ App Compatibility Table: Dragon Dictate receives a “tested and has some problems” rating. It has shown to simply crash on start-up for many people.

Many professional apps are struggling to gain confidence with the new OS X Lion. This means if you rely on your Mac to make dough, you should wait for better updates. Pain in the butt.

Number 2: Weird stuff is happening… Apple has trashed the “Save As…” file option for “Duplicate.” So, you duplicate the file (there’s no built in keyboard command for this) and then Save it. Wha?

In Mail you can’t enlarge the message list font. Dumb.

What is up with the ugly Calender interface? You all there Steve?

Number 3: The new touch commands are created to emulate the iPad/iPhone navigation experience. You can turn this off but it’s just annoying to have to think about it.

Number 4: Time Machine users beware: If your backup goes to a network drive, the mightly Lion will break it. Fix this by attaching a local USB or Firewire. Lion no likey.

Number 5: What is the rush?? Lion will be the new OS for at least two years or so. Wait till the bugs are exterminated, I’d say 6-8 months, then make your move. Don’t be me wrong, Lion OS X is great, in like January of next year.

Disable OS X Lion Reverse Scrolling … or not?

phil — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:21:22 +0000

So it’s obvious that Apple is testing the water with the new reverse scroll feature in OS X Lion. It’s natural for us on our iPhone’s and iPad’s, but not so much on our laptops. The idea is to standardize the touchy-feely experience Apple has been successful at pushing over the past few years, but is it too weird on our mouse and laptop? Since it seems that this may be the new default for all future devices, I’d suggest getting used to it. But, if it’s too confusing and brain-twisting, you can disable it. Here’s how:

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon on the top left of your screen.

Step 2: Click System Preferences

Step 3: Click on “Mouse”

Step 4: Uncheck Scroll Direction: natural

And now you are back to your comfortable pillow of mousing around. If you are bold and daring, I’d say try getting used to the new gesture. If you are not ready to step a few years into the future, stay cozy.

Convert Images Easily on a Mac

phil — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:32:09 +0000

Need a quick image converter? We have you covered. Although this is a trial version, it works, it’s safe, and you no longer have to search the web for this purpose. So, without further adieu, behold ImgCvrt. This is both a tool and a contextual menu for converting image file formats. Your converted images will keep the same name as the original, with the new extension, and saved in the original directory. Use the Preferences window to specify the output image format.

Download ImgCvrt Now (secure)