macfidelity

This is a raw copy from macosxhints.com:

Assume you want to do some work on a remote Mac via 10.5’s Screen Sharing, but you forgot to enable Screen Sharing before you left the remote Mac. You’re now a good distance away, and apparently stuck. Fortunately, because the screen sharing system uses launchd to monitor its state, enabling and disabling is as simple as adding a file in the remote Mac’s /Libary/Preferences folder. (Note that you’ll need to be able to login to the remote Mac via ssh to run these commands on that Mac.)

$ cd /Library/Preferences
$ echo -n enabled > com.apple.ScreenSharing.launchd

To disable screen sharing:

$ cd /Library/Preferences
$ rm com.apple.ScreenSharing.launchd

If you have a Finder window open with the remote Mac selected in the Shared section, you’ll even note the icon for Screen Sharing coming and going as you do this.

I was in need to split some really big files on my Mac OS X box to copy them to a FAT32 drive…

Well, how to solve that on a GUI-based way was my first question.

A quick search showed Pif-Splitter.

Quote from Macupdate.com:

Pif-Splitter can cut large files into smaller pieces so you can save the data on different media types like CDs, DVDs, USB keys and more. For example, you can split a disk image of 8GB into four different 2GB files. Then use Pif-Splitter to put them back together.

The application started using french language, but ok… there isn’t that much to translate. Just select and go for it.

Friend of mine just forwarded this url to me:

http://safariadblock.sourceforge.net/  

quote:

Safari AdBlock blocks ads in Safari.
It is free of charge and under the GPL license.

Safari AdBlock is easy to use: it just works out of the box!

Bombich Software released Carbon Copy Cloner 3.1

Quote:

Among the new features are:

• Support for block-level disk-to-disk clones.
• Synchronization built-in, not bolted on.
• Support for backing up across the network to another Macintosh.
• Advanced scheduling capabilities — Backup tasks can now be scheduled on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or you can indicate that a backup task should run when the backup device is attached (e.g. an iPod). You don’t even need to be logged in for your backups to occur!
• CCC recognizes iPods specifically, allowing time for the iPod:iTunes synchronization to complete.
• The ability to drill down into folders to select exactly what gets copied and what doesn’t (you can drill down indefinitely).
• Built-in software update feature notifies you when updates are available.

See the complete release history here

Found Reggy via the rss feed of aptgetupdate.de.

Just found 2 great apps to customize the contextual menu in Mac OS X

• NuFile
• DocumentPalette

About NuFile:

NuFile(pronounced new-file (Nu is a greek letter)) is a contextual menu plugin. It adds a new file menu when you right click at a folder(ie: desktop or Finder background); just like what you can do in Windows. With this menu, you can create an empty file of your favourite type with just two clicks(“it’s just one click if you hold the button down ;)”–Endian). It’s a time saver especially if you have a two-button mouse (ex: Apple’s sleeky mighty mouse) or if you use RazzFazz’s iScroll2. If you like this program, and want to see its improvement please consider making a donation.

About DocumentPalette:

Create new documents directly in open folders

Document Palette runs in the background and allows you to create new documents in the current folder. With a folder active in Finder, press Control+Option+Command+N to make the palette appear, then select the document type you wish to create.

Using the palette

From an active folder, press the key combination below.

After the palette pops up, select a document type and you’re done.

Customizing the palette

You can add any type of document to the palette. Simply create a blank document using an editor, then drag it to the document list in Document Palette’s Preferences window.

Not just empty files

Add files with content to create document types that work like stationery pads or templates.

I am searching right now a solution to create custom contextual menu items for my finder and stumbled upon this document from apple about:

Clearing Finders open-with contextual menu

Quote:

Ever wondered how to “clear” the Finder’s Open With… contextual menu choices of any extraneous or older applications? (This is the menu that appears when you control-click or “right-click” a document icon.)

If your Open With… menu is filled with too many choices to easily scroll through, you can remove the less-commonly used choices. These steps will clear the list except for the most current applications that can open your document.

1. From the Finder Go menu, choose Home.
2. Open the Library folder in the Home window.
3. Open the Preferences folder.
4. Find com.apple.LaunchServices.plist.
5. Rename “com.apple.LaunchServices”, such as to “com.apple.LaunchServices.old”, or move it to the Trash.

The next time you use the Open With…. contextual menu in the Finder, only current applications will be listed. Some items may return if the application that controls them adds itself back to the list.

Ok, today the first public release of Tierprogramm ……. my small AppleScript based User-Interface for EXIFtool.

All project informations can be found here.

If you have a suggestion regarding Tierprogramm, feel free to write here or contact me via email. Thanks in advance.

A good article from John Lilly (Mozilla CEO) about Apples update behaviour on Microsoft Windows machines.

Quote:

What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong. It undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that’s bad  not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web.

Well a full agree to both writers.

Here the original post of John Lilly

Found that hint on the great fsckblog.

Safari comes with a good defaults-command:

defaults write com.apple.Safari TargetedClicksCreateTabs -bool true/false

The defaults command is a toggle and defines it Safari 3.1 opens links in a new window or in a new Tab.

The long version howto change a default value:

1. Open Terminal.app (in /Applications/Utilities/)
2. Enter the command as posted above. Keep in mind that you have to use either true OR false.
3. Press enter and done

If you are not used to command-line you could easily use Secrets to enable to change this setting.

But to be honest, i am really wondering why apple has to “hide” such features for usual mac-users. Shame on you Apple.