Mac OS X Hints

Toggle sidebar visibility in all open Finder windows

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:42:00 -0800

Using an AppleScript, create a Service (in 10.6) that will let you toggle the visibility of the sidebar in all open Finder windows. This also works in 10.5, but it's not quite as useful there, as the script can't fully hide the sidebar.

Use Tab key in Snow Leopard keyboard shortcuts

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:34:00 -0800

Learn how to include the Tab key in user-created keyboard shortcuts in Snow Leopard -- something that wasn't possible in previous OS X releases.

Open minimized windows in current space in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:09:00 -0800

Learn a simple keyboard shortcut to release minimized windows into the active Space, instead of back into their original Space.

Enable global text replacements in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:17:00 -0800

In Snow Leopard, text replacement must be enabled on a program by program basis. Use this hint to enable text replacements globally, at least in all programs that support them.

Looking at the changes to Snow Leopard's top command

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0800

Learn about some key changes to the Unix 'top' command in Snow Leopard

Directly set screen sharing image quality level

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:49:00 -0800

Learn how to set the quality level of a remote Mac's screen in the Screen Sharing application in 10.5 and 10.6.

Add more effects to Photo Booth and iChat

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:31:00 -0800

Learn how to add over 20 additional effects to photos taken in Photo Booth and iChat

Four hints about Mail and Spaces

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:10:00 -0800

Four hints for the price of one ... learn how to easily switch between open windows of an app across Spaces, how to delete Mail messages without showing a preview of the next, and two tips for working with links in messages in 10.6's Mail app.

Create pause-zoom-pause effects in iMovie stills

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:01:00 -0800

Learn how to show a still image for some time in your iMovie project, then zoom/crop/move that image, and then pause on the final image again before moving on.

Delete networked files without caution dialog

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:43:00 -0700

Learn a timesaving (but potentially dangerous) method of deleting files stored on networked volumes without going through the Finder's "are you sure?" warning dialog.

See icon previews in folder Quick Look windows

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:41:00 -0700

Learn how to see a rotating set of icon previews for files within folders in Quick Look mode - perhaps not terribly useful, but visually intriguing

Two more Snow Leopard Expose tips

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:41:00 -0700

Learn how to change the Expose All Windows sort order, and how to control whether or not Expose searches across Spaces in Application Windows mode.

Add notes to events and contacts created with data detectors

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:14:00 -0700

Data detectors in Mail in 10.5 and 10.6 can help you create new contacts and events from dates, addresses, and phone numbers. Learn how to automatically associate notes with these new entries.

Find recently-used apps and documents in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:45:00 -0700

In Snow Leopard, you can use the Recent Items menu to help you quickly find where you saved a recently-used document (or application).

Two ways to download software updates in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:29:00 -0700

Snow Leopard removed a useful 'download only' option from Software Update. Learn two ways to replace that lost functionality.

See which processes are using the Internet

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:11:00 -0700

Use Terminal to see which processes are using your Internet connection

Switch between app windows in different Spaces

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:20:00 -0700

Learn another method of switching between application windows for one program, when those windows are open in multiple Spaces

Create Mail accounts manually in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:36:00 -0700

Learn how to bypass Snow Leopard's automatic Mail account setup feature.

Automatically mute sound before meetings

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:44:00 -0700

Use a couple of very simple AppleScripts and iCal to mute your laptop before (and unmute it after) you head to meetings, lectures, or other scheduled events.

Gain more control over QuickTime X playback speeds

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:45:00 -0700

Learn how to use more than just three (2x, 4x, 8x) playback speeds in QuickTime Player X.

Force Dictionary to use one window in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:25:00 -0700

In Snow Leopard, the Dictionary app opens a new window every time you look up a word in Spotlight or via the Services menu. This hint explains how to force Dictionary to use one window.

Make it even easier to add media to iTunes

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:31:00 -0700

Learn how to make it even easier to use the new Automatically Add to iTunes feature in iTunes 9.

Select Expose windows by name in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:35:00 -0700

Learn how to select any window in Expose's All Windows mode based on the name of that window.

See selection info in iTunes 9

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:23:00 -0700

See the size and play time of selections in iTunes 9

Control the behavior of the green button in iTunes 9.0.1

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:02:00 -0700

Would you prefer that the green button in iTunes 9 shows the mini player, or that it maximizes the window? With this hint, the choice is yours.

Associate files to applications using Services in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:02:00 -0700

If you don't like Snow Leopard's inability to automatically open certain documents in the program that create that document, you're not alone. While there's no permanent solution in sight, this hint provides a relatively easy way to associate a document with an application.

Yet another way to move app windows to Spaces

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:24:00 -0700

Learn one additional method of moving app windows into Spaces.

See hidden files in Snow Leopard's Open and Save dialogs

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:13:00 -0700

Learn a simple way to show (and hide) hidden files and folders directly from Open and Save dialogs in Snow Leopard.

Keyboard navigation of Snow Leopard's Stacks

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:26:00 -0700

Learn how to use the keyboard to get around Stacks in Snow Leopard, including the new folder drill-down feature.

Collect windows in Spaces in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:39:00 -0700

Snow Leopard removed a 'collect windows' Spaces shortcut. Here's a new way to collect windows -- while it works, it's not as simple as the old method.

See more fields in Finder Spotlight search results

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:56:00 -0700

Learn how to enable the Size, Version, Comments, and Label fields when viewing Finder Spotlight search results. Once enabled, you can easily sort on any field.

How to use text substitution in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:08:00 -0700

Learn how to get text substitution working in many OS X applications, and how to create multi-line substitutions.

Use new Exposé features in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:08:00 -0700

Learn about how to use Quick Look with Exposé, and how to use Exposé with the Command-Tab application switcher

Reveal hidden menu bar icon functions in Snow Leopard

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:28:00 -0700

Get more power out of the AirPort, Battery, Sync, and Sound menu bar icons in Snow Leopard -- all with a simple key press.

Control audio playback in Keynote presentations

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:16:00 -0700

Learn how to see an audio playback controller -- identical to the controller available with embedded movies -- in Keynote presentations.

Create smart burn folders

Rob Griffiths — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:19:00 -0700

Combine two useful OS X features -- smart folders and burn folders -- to create smart burn folders that are always ready to burn.

See all of the Weather widget's weather modes

Rob Griffiths — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:31:00 -0700

Learn how to see all of the various graphics included with the OS X Dashboard Weather widget.

See really large results in Calculator

Rob Griffiths — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:56:00 -0700

Want to see super huge results of your calculations in Calculator? Here's how...