MacMost: Archives

You can combine different elements of iMovie to create your own effects and titles. As an example, learn how to create scrolling end credits that include still images fading in and out on the left.

Smart Playlists in iTunes are lists of songs that automatically update according to search criteria. You can create a Smart Playlist that looks for songs in your library according to how recently they were added or played, or how you have rated them, their genres and other properties.

Apple’s stock price hit new highs this week, contrary to the long-held belief that it would drop following the resignation of Steve Jobs as CEO. But analysts and investors continue to speak highly of the stock.
Strong rumors are pointing to a product announcement on Oct. 5 that could be the new iPhone 5. In addition, the new phone could become available on more networks in the U.S. such as Sprint or T-Mobile.
An iPhone 5 would probably carry iOS 5, the long-awaited update to the iPhone operating system. It may be made available to iPhone 4 and iPad users at the same time. iCloud, Apple’s replacement for MobileMe, would likely also be released at the same time.
Apple produced an update this week to Final Cut Pro X. This update included the ability to export and import projects, paving the way for integration with other tools.

“I’ve got cable with 900 channels and pay-per-view.”
“So what did you watch on TV last night?”
“Nothing.”
“Well I’ve got Apple TV with iTunes, Netflix and YouTube.”
“What did you watch on TV last night?”
“Nothing.”

Check out Gary's list of apps that he suggests most people install on a new Mac on the first day. The list includes some utilities and browser plug-ins. You can get the links and make your own suggestions at https://macmost.com/must-have-lion-apps

In addition to using DropBox to sync files between your Macs, you can also use it to share files with friends. You can make a file public and provide your friends with a link to it. You can also share a folder between friends with DropBox accounts. There is even a special photo galleries folder that will allow you to share photos easily.

A portable Mac using Lion and Time Machine creates local snapshots of new and modified files when it cannot access its TIme Machine drive. These local snapshots can be used to recover deleted or mistakenly modified files. They take advantage of unused space on your hard drive and adjust according to how much space you have available.

Apple issued updates to firmware for MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros and the Mac mini this week. Firmware is a term used to describe small applications and data stored on chips in a Mac, as opposed to hard drives or memory. Firmware that comes with a Mac can be updated by Apple to fix bugs and add features. See http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1471.
These new updates include improvements to how the new Thunderbolt port can be used with external displays, as well as in target disk mode — a way to access your Mac as a hard drive from another Mac with the Thunderbolt connector.
In addition, the updates provide more support for recovery in case of a hard drive failure. Newer Macs with Lion can recover and even re-install Lion with an Internet connection thanks to a special recovery partition and software in firmware. This way Lion can be restored without needing an optical drive or other storage device with a Lion installer. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 for details.

“I don’t feel I’m communicating with my wife as much anymore.”
“Are you two drifting apart?”
“Yes. I’m still on Facebook and she’s moved to Google+.”

QR Codes are barcode-like boxes of dots that you can find in magazines, posters, signs and business cards. They usually represent web page addresses. You can use free apps on your iPhone to easily scan these codes and see where they lead. You can also make your own QR Codes using free web services.

In Final Cut Pro X you can switch back and forth between videos using a variety of methods. The video can shift from one viewpoint to another while the audio stays constant. Learn about mixing multiple video tracks and going back and forth between them.

Learn the basic steps to start backing up your Mac with Time Machine. Every computer user should back up his or her data on a regular basis, and using Time Machine on your Mac makes that easy. Find out how to get started.

With the release of iOS 5 growing closer and the current line of iPods and iPhones growing older, many sites report that new models are imminent. The second week of September is usually when Apple unveils new iPods, but they may be looking to come out with a new iPod Touch and iPhone at the same time, for the first time.
Reports from Apple’s Chinese manufacturer, Foxconn, say that iPhone 5s are being built by the millions right now, which would point to a late September or early October release. A German mobile carrier has gone as far as accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5, even though it lists no specifications or release date.
Rumors speculate that the next iPhone will have a better camera, faster processor and perhaps a larger display. There are some rumors that the iPod touch will get 3G capability, allowing for a mobile data connection like some iPad models.

“Do you know that I’m the mayor of this place on Foursquare?”
“Well, in that case I’d like to talk to you about the working conditions.”

You can perform a variety of text transformations and substitutions using standard menu commands. For instance, you can change all of the characters in a selection to upper or lower case. You can also change straight quotes to curly quotes, two dashes to long dashes, and have segments of text automatically change as you type.

It is difficult to change the tempo of an individual track in GarageBand because all tracks will match the tempo of the song by default. But if you copy tracks into new loops, you can hold the speed of those tracks steady as you adjust the tempo of the song.

Learn where to go if your Apple product breaks, or you have a problem you can't figure out. You can use Apple's Genius Bar or call their support line. You can also join a local user group or take your Mac to a local repair shop.

Reports this week show Apple getting closer to releasing a new OS for the iPhone and iPad, and new features for Mac OS X Lion. Rumor sites are reporting on a new developer release of iOS 5 with only bug fixes, showing that Apple is almost finished with development. In addition, a new version of Mac OS X Lion, version 10.7.2, with iCloud support has been seen, and a new developer version of iTunes with iTunes Match enabled has also been reported. There are also rumors floating around that some of the new iCloud features may be supported in Snow Leopard with an update to that OS.
It is expected that iOS 5 and Lion 10.7.2 will be released simultaneously because both will hook into iCloud, Apple’s network syncing service that replaces MobileMe. The expected release date for iOS 5 and iCloud is “the fall” which could be any time starting at the end of this month.

“Do you know when the new iPhone will be out?”
“My guess is October.”
“I just got confirmation from a credible source!”

Learn how to use transitions in Final Cut Pro X. There are several ways to apply transitions between clips, and many ways to adjust the end and start points of the two clips. You can also customize each transition.